plea-bargain

American  

[plee-bahr-gin] / ˈpliˌbɑr gɪn /

verb (used without object)

1. to engage in plea bargaining.

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verb (used with object)

1. to deal with or achieve by plea bargaining.

   to plea-bargain a reduced sentence.

noun

1. the agreement arrived at as a result of plea bargaining.

plea bargain Cultural  

1. An agreement that permits a defendant to plead guilty to a lesser charge instead of pleading not guilty to a more serious one. Plea bargaining is usually undertaken by a prosecutor to obtain important information from a defendant or to avoid a long and costly trial.

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Other Word Forms

• plea-bargainer noun

Etymology

Origin of plea-bargain

First recorded in 1965–70

Example Sentences

How many were allowed to plea-bargain for reduced penalties?

From Washington Post

Martinez Guzman, who authorities say entered the U.S. illegally at age 16, pleaded guilty to all the crimes last year after prosecutors announced they’d agreed to a plea-bargain agreement in October.

From Seattle Times

Cartabia says she can speed up trials thanks to measures to encourage defendants to seek plea-bargain deals and the hiring of thousands of support staff in courtrooms.

From Reuters

Mr Kabendera's release comes after he entered into a plea-bargain agreement with the prosecution.

From BBC

They’re facing potential jail time and big fines, but lawyers are already scrambling to plea-bargain it down to 5 yards for illegal procedure.

From Seattle Times

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