Sometimes, individuals facing criminal charges are offered plea bargains— opportunities to plead guilty to a less severe charge than the one they are actually facing. A plea bargain can benefit the defendant as well as the court and criminal justice system: while the defendant avoids the severe penalties associated with his or her charge, the court saves time and money by not having to go through the process of completing a criminal trial. Plea bargains can also prevent overcrowding in jails and prisons.
In Illinois, it is possible to “plead down” a DUI charge to a reckless driving charge. When an individual accepts an offer to plead guilty to reckless driving, he or she avoids having a DUI charge on his or her record and many of the penalties that accompany it, like a mandatory driver’s license revocation.
Who Gets Offered Plea Deals?
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