When Pennsylvania residents are charged with any type of crime, they know it is a serious matter. However, violent crime suspects may have a bit of a harder time attempting to handle their criminal cases. These suspects are oftentimes treated harshly from a bond perspective and may have to wait in the local jail for days or even weeks before they can get in front of a judge to have a chance to start fighting the charges. In some cases, that makes suspects start to consider a plea bargain right away.

What should you know about plea bargaining?

For starters, it is incredibly common. The vast majority of criminal cases that end in a conviction get to that point by way of a plea bargain. In these negotiations, prosecutors typically offer some type of “deal” to suspects if the suspects, in essence, save the prosecutor the trouble of taking the case all the way to a trial.

In some instances, the plea bargain offer might include a chance to plead to a lesser crime than the one that has been charged. That, in turn, will usually come with a lesser sentence. In other cases, prosecutors may offer to agree to a sentencing recommendation that “caps” the amount of prison time a violent offender might get. Each plea bargain is unique, and will depend greatly on the specific circumstances of each case.

Seek guidance when necessary

Pennsylvania residents who are facing violent crime charges may be considering a plea bargain. In some cases, that might be the best option in a bad situation. However, in others, the best criminal defense strategy may be to challenge the evidence and, perhaps, take the case to trial.