In criminal matters most cases are settled before trial through negotiated agreements between the parties. this is known as

Many criminal cases are settled prior to going to trial through plea bargaining. This occurs when the defendant, their attorney, and the prosecution agree that the defendant pleads guilty to a particular charge. Oftentimes, this is a lesser charge than what the defendant was originally charged with. This is somewhat of an incentive to get the defendant to plead guilty and avoid having to go to trial.