Home -> Law Blog Directory -> Criminal Law Blogs -> California Criminal Defense Blog

Criminal Law

: California Criminal Defense Blog

Plea Bargains

By Neil Shous, Esq.

Plea bargaining is a useful tool that is beneficial to both the prosecution and the defense. The parties typically enter into these negotiations when neither side is confident that the case will ultimately resolve in their favor. When the defendant and prosecutor strike a deal, the prosecutor obtains a criminal conviction against the defendant and the defendant pleads guilty or ?no contest? to a lesser charge and (in most cases) to a lesser sentence than he would have faced under his original charge(s). Two of the most common plea bargain charges are Penal Code 602 PC, California?s trespassing law, and Penal Code 415 PC, disturbing the peace. Although neither crime typically relates to the underlying offense, both of these charges can be filed as either misdemeanors or infractions, which is why they are popular plea bargaining tools...continue to full post

Full post as published by California Criminal Defense Blog on April 28, 2010 (boomark / email).