I spent 6 months in county jail after pleading out and being sentenced to 9 months. When I first walked in the door, I had a number of charges that added up to

I spent 6 months in county jail after pleading out and being sentenced to 9 months. When I first walked in the door, I had a number of charges that added up to a potential first-offender maximum of 48 years. Anything that they think they may conceivably want to try to prove in court will be on your charge sheet. It is far easier to drop charges off than it is to add them in. It isn't that you get a 'discount' for pleading, it's a strong-arm tactic to scare you into taking a deal. Taking a deal saves the state money, but more importantly (to the actors involved) it takes little time. Prosecutors can quickly rack up felony convictions (which is how they are judged) with little effort. You get what you measure.