Negotiations during a criminal trial, between an accused person and a prosecutor in which the accused agrees to admit to a crime (sometimes a lesser crime than the one set out in the original charge), avoiding the publicity and expense of a public trial, in exchange for which the prosecutor agrees to ask for a more lenient sentence than he or she would have recommended if conviction resulted from the case proceeding to full trial.
The normal rule of law is that judges are not bound by plea bargains although, as past lawyers themselves, they are generally aware of plea bargains and a reasonable recommendation of a prosecutor on sentencing is always heavily considered as it saves Court time and money, reduces inconvenience to the witnesses and victim, and encouraged persons to accept responsibility for their actions.