The defendant has the option of pursuing a trial. If the defendant loses the trial, there is usually a more severe sentence. The justice system in the US is "a

The defendant has the option of pursuing a trial. If the defendant loses the trial, there is usually a more severe sentence. The justice system in the US is "adversarial." The product of the process is the verdict. Any official information entered into the public record is a side product, not a primary. In cases where a prosecutor thinks the public information is more important, they have the option of not pursuing a deal.