plea bargaining
noun
plea bar·gain·ing
ˈplē-ˌbär-gə-niŋ 
: the negotiation of an agreement between a prosecutor and a defendant whereby the defendant is permitted to plead guilty to a reduced charge
plea bargain
noun
Examples of plea bargaining in a Sentence
As a result of plea bargaining, he would not be sentenced to death.
Recent Examples on the Web
Worse, in a criminal justice system that relies on plea bargaining for more than 95% of cases and is overwhelmingly dominated by misdemeanor offenses, there may never be a chance to check whether the AI report accurately captured the scene.
—
Andrew Guthrie Ferguson, The Conversation, 15 Oct. 2025
The 2019 reforms moved us away from wrongful convictions and unnecessary plea bargaining, toward a culture of transparency and fairness.
—Chris Alexander, New York Daily News, 13 Apr. 2025
According to Lawrence Schiller’s massive 2000 book about the investigation, Perfect Murder, Perfect Town, the Boulder DA had a liberal culture, emphasizing community policing and plea bargaining instead of going to trial.
—Alessa Dominguez, Vulture, 22 Nov. 2024
Enhancements are often dropped during the plea bargaining stage in Canyon County, court records show.
—Rachel Spacek, Idaho Statesman, 25 Jan. 2024
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Andrew Guthrie Ferguson, The Conversation, 15 Oct. 2025
The 2019 reforms moved us away from wrongful convictions and unnecessary plea bargaining, toward a culture of transparency and fairness.
—Chris Alexander, New York Daily News, 13 Apr. 2025
According to Lawrence Schiller’s massive 2000 book about the investigation, Perfect Murder, Perfect Town, the Boulder DA had a liberal culture, emphasizing community policing and plea bargaining instead of going to trial.
—Alessa Dominguez, Vulture, 22 Nov. 2024
Enhancements are often dropped during the plea bargaining stage in Canyon County, court records show.
—Rachel Spacek, Idaho Statesman, 25 Jan. 2024
See All Example Sentences for plea bargaining
Cite this Entry
“Plea bargaining.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/plea%20bargaining. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
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