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The cost of a trial is significant for the state. They generally do not charge people unless they have substantial, if not overwhelming evidence. The sentencing guidelines are known to both sides. So a deal that skips a trial in exchange for 75% of the expected sentence is a win-win for both sides.

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> They generally do not charge people unless they have substantial, if not overwhelming evidence.

Well that's simply untrue. Very often prosecutors will overcharge to force a plea deal on the defendant who doesn't want to risk it, and overwhelmed public defenders don't have the resources to properly examine the evidence or collect their own evidence in defence of their clients. And often it's a fraction of the sentence, not 75%, because charges are often dropped as part of the deal.

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