Criminal Law – Plea Bargains and Deals

6 July 2020

Plea bargains and deals are an integral and obvious outcome of criminal cases, controlled and limited by the existing laws of different jurisdictions. As a law tutor London, instilling into your students the likely outcomes in any criminal proceeding is essential in ensuring that they are well prepared for the real criminal law practice.

Understanding plea bargains is a good starting point in ensuring that your students, as a law tutor, have a clue n the actual criminal law practice.

When to make a plea bargain?

Plea bargains exist when there is an arrangement between the prosecutor and the offender, which can happen at any time during the criminal proceedings.

Plea bargains, in essence, is an admission of guilt, and are often used to reduce the sentence or likely fine, although it does not take away the conviction from the offender’s register.

Types of plea bargains

There are two min types of plea bargains, which are; 

• Charge bargains- this entails pleading guilty to a less serious crime than the original crime the offender was charged with in the proceeding.
• Sentence bargaining- this usually involves seemingly serious offenses where the offender pleads guilty in exchange for a reduced sentence once charged.

Conclusion

In other likely scenarios, especially where the offender is facing multiple charges, they may settle for plea bargaining on a few of the charges in exchange for the prosecutor dropping the other charges.

Another type of plea bargaining is no contest plea bargaining is contest pleas, where the charges cannot be used against the defendant in any other civil case.

It is also important to note that there is a likelihood of expunging a criminal record should the offender settle for plea bargaining.

As a law tutor, highlighting the most probable scenarios that offenders are faced with in criminal proceedings will ensure that your students are equipped with the knowledge and skills when they join the criminal law practice.