I feel like you are looking at it backwards. When the prosecutor proposes a plea bargain, it's usually because they don't have enough proof to get a proper conv

I feel like you are looking at it backwards. When the prosecutor proposes a plea bargain, it's usually because they don't have enough proof to get a proper conviction through a juge/jury, or at least it is so here in France. A plea bargain is used to convict innocent people, by giving them a choice between a plea punishment, and the punishment of having to go through pre-trial detention and various forms of abuses before being able to prove their innocence. That the entire police-justice system works by treating you as guilty until proven innocent is crazy and is in itself a very strong sentence. That is, unless you are rich of course in which case pre-trial detention is likely non-existent and you can commit most crimes and get away with it.