system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5: Why are individuals given a much lighter sentence if they accept a plea deal and plea guilty versus if a jury finds them guilty?
gpt
Because that was the agreement, if they plea guilty, they'll face a lighter sentence.

It's in the interest of the entire justice system for cases to not be bogged down unnecessarily, if someone is willing to not waste the courts time and money proving them guilty then they're rewarded with a slightly more mild sentence.

Also in some cases the prosecution (people who are against the guy being charged) might not have a 100% solid case so a plea is less "risk" from their perspective.