A negotiated agreement in criminal cases in which a defendant admits guilt to a lesser offense or to fewer counts in exchange for a reduced sentence or dismissal of other charges, subject to prosecutor recommendation and judicial approval. Enabled by prosecutorial discretion and constrained by Sixth Amendment trial-rights doctrines (see Santobello v. New York), this practice resolves the vast majority of federal and state convictions and reduces court caseloads while raising concerns about defendants' rights and sentencing transparency.