When a defendant decides to accept an offer for a plea arrangement he gives up the following constitutional rights: To have a jury trial. To confront and cross-examine witnesses. To compel witnesses to testify at trial.
Plea bargaining occurs when a District Attorney and defense counsel negotiate the charges to which a defendant will plead guilty, and the defendant consents to the deal. Plea bargaining eliminates the need for a jury trial. The negotiation in San Mateo County occurs in the presence of a judge who sets the sentence.
Rule 11(c)(1)(C) allows the defendant and Federal Government to “agree that a specific sentence or sentencing range is the appropriate disposition of the case, or that a particular provision of the Sentencing Guidelines, or policy statement, or sentencing factor does or does not apply.” The purpose of a plea under Rule ...
In exchange for the guilty plea, the defendant may get the following: A reduction in the number of charges they face. A reduction in the severity of the offense they're charged with. A reduced sentence or none at all (by offering probation instead of jail time)
Court Approval and Plea Agreements in California A judge must approve a plea deal. Once you have reached an agreement with the prosecution, the judge hears the details of the deal. The judge will ask you to confirm that you are voluntarily entering the plea.
The terms of a plea bargain are generally public unless the judge seals the case. This is an unusual step. So in most cases, the public can access the terms of the plea bargain.
The judge has the authority to accept or reject a plea bargain. They will consider the nature of the charges and the defendant's criminal history, if any, as well as the circumstances surrounding the case.
Instead the courts seal plea agreements on a case-by-case basis under an order by the judge. In these districts, if the agreements aren't ordered to be sealed, they include any cooperation information and are open to the public and available on PACER, the federal online docketing system.
Now, all plea agreements are open to the public unless the prosecu- tor or another party makes a motion to seal them and the judge agrees.