You may be able to plead not guilty to the charged offence but guilty to a different offence based on your actions that gave rise to the charge. For example, you may be able to plead not guilty to second degree murder as charged, but guilty to manslaughter, or not guilty to arson, but guilty to mischief. You cannot do this unless the crown prosecutor consents, and the judge accepts your guilty plea to the other offence.
This option often allows you to receive a lesser sentence and less serious criminal record than if they pleaded guilty to and were sentenced for the charged offence.
You may even be able to avoid a criminal record entirely. For example, you may plead not guilty to the Criminal Code offence of killing, maiming, wounding, or injuring an animal, but guilty to the Animal Protections Act offence of causing an animal to be in distress, which does not result in a formal criminal record. Similarly, you may be able to plead not guilty to a Criminal Code driving offence, but guilty to an offence under Alberta’s Traffic Safety Act, which allows you to avoid a formal criminal record.