charge bargaining

Charge bargaining is a type of plea bargain in law where a defendant agrees to plead guilty to reduced charges. This means they admit guilt to a less serious offense than what they were originally accused of, in exchange for a more lenient outcome. For example, a defendant might plead guilty to aggravated assault instead of attempted murder.1

This practice is part of a broader system of plea bargaining, which involves negotiations between the prosecution and defense. The goal is often to secure a conviction more efficiently and guarantee a certain outcome, though critics argue it can prevent true justice from being served. The majority of criminal cases in the United States involve some form of plea bargaining.1