PLEA AGREEMENT Meaning and
Definition
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A plea agreement is a legally binding agreement entered into between a defendant and a prosecuting authority, such as a district attorney or the Department of Justice, usually in criminal cases. It is a negotiated settlement that allows the defendant to plead guilty or no contest to certain charges in exchange for specific concessions from the prosecution.
In a plea agreement, the defendant agrees to admit guilt, thereby avoiding trial and potential harsher penalties that could result from a conviction, while the prosecuting authority agrees to certain concessions, such as reducing the charges or recommending a lenient sentence. The terms of the agreement usually vary depending on the specific circumstances of the case and the respective bargaining power of each party.
Plea agreements serve several purposes in the criminal justice system. They promote judicial efficiency by reducing the caseload and resources required for trials. Additionally, they enable defendants to gain some control over their fate by negotiating more favorable outcomes than they may receive at trial. For the prosecution, plea agreements ensure a higher rate of conviction and allow them to allocate limited resources to more serious cases.
However, it is important to note that plea agreements are subject to court approval and may be rejected if they are not deemed to be in the interests of justice.
Common Misspellings for PLEA AGREEMENT
- olea agreement
- llea agreement
- 0lea agreement
- pkea agreement
- ppea agreement
- poea agreement
- plwa agreement
- plsa agreement
- plda agreement
- plra agreement
- pl4a agreement
- pl3a agreement
- plez agreement
- ples agreement
- plew agreement
- pleq agreement
- plea zgreement
- plea sgreement
- plea wgreement
- plea qgreement
Etymology of PLEA AGREEMENT
The word "plea agreement" consists of two distinct terms:
1. Plea: The term "plea" comes from the Latin word "placitum", which means "thing decided" or "judicial decree". It entered Middle English as "plede" and later evolved to "plee" in the 14th century. Eventually, it took its current form "plea" by the 16th century. In legal contexts, plea refers to a formal statement made by a defendant in response to a criminal charge, stating whether they are guilty or not guilty.
2. Agreement: The term "agreement" comes from the Latin word "agreementum", which is derived from the verb "agreare", meaning "to please" or "to satisfy". In Middle English, it was commonly spelled as "agrement" and later evolved to "agreement" in the 16th century.
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