Guilty plea

Types of plea

In some legal systems pleading guilty can result in a more lenient punishment for the defendant, thus being a type of mitigating factor in sentencing. However, in some other legal systems, pleading guilty instead can result in a harsher punishment. In a plea bargain, a defendant makes a deal with the prosecution or court to plead guilty in exchange for a more lenient punishment, or for related charges against them to be dropped. A "blind plea" is a guilty plea entered with no plea agreement in place. Plea bargains are particularly common in the United States. Other countries use a more limited form of plea bargaining. In the United Kingdom and Germany, guidelines state that only the timing of the guilty plea can affect the reduction in the punishment, with an earlier plea resulting in a greater reduction.