Which term describes a deal offered in exchange for pleading guilty, usually resulting in a reduced sentence?

• A. Plea in Abatement
• B. Plea in Mitigation
• C. Plea Agreement
• D. Plea Bargain

Answer: (D)

A bargain that is negotiated between the defense and the prosecution, where the defendant agrees to plead guilty in exchange for concessions, is the Plea Bargain. This arrangement typically includes a reduced sentence or the dismissal of some charges, and it aims to resolve the case more efficiently than going to trial. Plea Agreement is the written contract that records the terms of that bargain, but the essence of the concept—the deal struck in exchange for a guilty plea—fits most precisely with Plea Bargain. The other terms do not describe this exchange: a Plea in Abatement deals with procedural issues, a Plea in Mitigation concerns presenting factors that may lessen punishment without a negotiated deal, and while a Plea Agreement is related as the written record, it is the bargaining concept that’s being described.