Usually when faced with a trial the prosecution will offer you the chance to plead guilty to a lesser charge for a lesser sentence/penalty in order to not have to spend the time/money/effort of arguing a full trial. Depending on the charge, the defendant might find this more advantageous than risking a much bigger penalty by going to trial and having to rely on 12 strangers to decide your fate.
It’s also very common for minor things, like speeding tickets and traffic offenses. You can often plea bargain these to lower speeds or offenses so you may wind up paying a higher fine, but you won’t get points on your license that would cause your insurance rate to increase
* The DA will usually offer a reduced charge or sentence in exchange for a guilty plea. Knowing you will get a 7 years sentence rather than roll the dice on a 5-15 year sentence is a win.
* Even without an offer, pleading guilty creates goodwill that prosecutors and judges often recognize. Conversely, they get annoyed at having to prosecute clearly guilty people, especially when they reject reasonable plea bargains.
* A trial means there will almost certainly be an additional investigation that could uncover additional crimes, including those committed by your friends and family.
* A trial makes all the potentially embarrassing details of your crime a matter of public records. If you take a plea, you can tell people whatever story you want, especially if you plead no contest.
* Lawyers are expensive, and you might be stuck in jail during the trial. Pleading guilty on a charge you almost certainly will be convicted of saves money and starts the clock on your sentence sooner.
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