Types of Criminal Pleas

A criminal plea is the answer the suspect enters in court to the charge of being guilty or not guilty in any criminal case. The suspects can either plea 'guilty,' 'not guilty' or 'no contest.' In any criminal case under the common law, by pleading guilty the individual manages to forego a trial and is sentenced directly.

Types of Pleas

As mentioned earlier, criminal pleas can be of three types. They are:

1. Guilty: In such a plea, the defendant admits having committed the crime. He completely confesses being guilty of the charges against him. The defendant must make a guilty plea with the court’s consent.

2. Not guilty: This is just the opposite of a guilty plea where the defendant admits to the charges. In this case, he denies the charges against him or her. Thus, following a not guilty plea, it is the state or the federal government’s responsibility to prove the case.

3. No contest: The third type of criminal plea or the no contest plea is made by the defendant and subjects him or her to a sentence. By entering this plea, the defendant does not admit to the charges levied against him or her. At the same time this does not mean that he is freed of all charges. It only means that he is sentenced to adequate punishment but these charges against the defendant cannot be cited against him or her in any other court proceeding or case.

Consequences of Criminal Pleas

Consequences of criminal pleas can be twofold. For the defendant, it implies being sentenced to a relatively lighter punishment for the charge that was raised against him or her. It is always better than to opt for a trial and lose the case. Also, trials at times take weeks or months. Defendants can also save a lot of money that they would otherwise spend on their attorneys by shortening the duration of the procedure. Criminal pleas also mean having fewer offenses in one’s criminal records and less publicity.

With a large number of cases being heard in the courts within a very short span of time, a criminal plea also brings some advantages for the defense. It reduces the timing of hearing reducing the excessive pressure on the judges. In cases where the outcome is unpredictable and the trial can continue for a prolonged period of time, pleas can be arranged quickly and are beneficial for both the parties.

Plea Bargain

A plea bargain is an option for both the parties involved in all criminal cases. In the case of a plea bargain, the prosecutor and the defendant attempt to settle the case with the consent of the court. In other words, a plea bargain implies an agreement between the two parties where the defendant pleads guilty but to a less severe offense therefore leading to less severe punishment. By indulging in a plea bargain, the defendant avoids the risk of entering into a trial and then being convicted for a serious criminal offense.