What is plea bargaining primarily used for in the legal process?

Plea bargaining is primarily utilized in the legal process to save time and resources in legal proceedings. This practice involves negotiations between the prosecution and the defendant, where the defendant agrees to plead guilty to a lesser charge or to one of several charges in exchange for a more lenient sentence or the dismissal of other charges. By resolving cases through plea bargains, courts can alleviate congestion on their dockets, allowing for a more efficient legal system.

This efficiency is crucial because it helps to manage the significant number of cases that would otherwise overwhelm the judicial system if they all proceeded to trial. Trials can be time-consuming and resource-intensive, involving extensive legal preparations, witnesses, and juries. Therefore, plea bargaining serves as a pragmatic solution to address these concerns, enabling quicker resolutions while also benefiting defendants who may receive lesser penalties than they would if convicted at trial.