Plea bargaining is said to be the most critical process in the criminal justice system. Plea-bargaining is when the defendant agrees to settle a case with certain guidelines and conditions. The prosecution will ask the defendant for a guilty plea in exchange for a reduced or even suspended sentence. The prosecution may agree to reduce the amount of charges as well. Roughly 95% of criminal cases are resolved through a plea bargain.

Plea-bargaining offers many benefits to both the defendant and the criminal justice system as a whole. Throughout the criminal justice system many people are effected by the use of plea bargains in a positive way. In terms of the defendant there are many benefits, which entice them to enter into a plea bargain. For one they defendant who may be facing multiple charges and the potential for years in jail has the potential to get multiple charges dropped as well as getting a significantly reduced sentence. With attorney fees ranging from several hundred to several thousand the costs of a trial can be staggering. Disposing of a case prior to trial will have a large impact, as the costs will be notably less. Plea-bargaining also came save the defendant money as the matter will be resolved more quickly and there will be little impact on the defendant’s job and wages will not be lost.

There is little doubt that plea-bargaining has a dramatic effect on the criminal system as a whole. The use of plea bargains helps everyone throughout the process from the defendant all the way through the criminal justice system to the jails. Without the use of plea bargains the criminal justice systems would be at a great disadvantage and the system would be crippled.