Plea bargaining can begin as early as the arraignment. Deals can be struck at any point up to the jury’s verdict. Many plea deals are made during the preliminary hearing. By the time this hearing comes up, both the prosecutor and the defense lawyer have had time to investigate and will have a solid understanding of the case. Courts and judges encourage plea deal negotiations, often aggressively. Trials are time-consuming, and courts are backlogged. Resolving as many criminal cases as possible through the plea deal process is essential to the criminal court system.