The vast majority of criminal cases in the United States are disposed of through which of the following processes?

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The vast majority of criminal cases in the United States are disposed of through plea bargains, wherein the defendant enters into an agreement with the prosecutor to plead guilty to a lesser charge or receive a lighter sentence in exchange for avoiding a trial. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, plea bargains were used in 90% of felony cases that resulted in conviction in 2009. Jury trials (A) are relatively rare, accounting for only a small percentage of criminal cases. Bench trials (C), in which a judge decides guilt or innocence, also occur less frequently than plea bargains. Vigilantism (D) is an illegal and dangerous form of taking justice into one's own hands and is not a legitimate process for disposing of criminal cases.

The Vast Majority of Criminal Cases in the United States