....
I saw that.
Someone please explain how that works.
They plea not guilty which delays the process until the trial. They have that time to work out a plea deal, at which time they can change their plea to guilty.
You've heard of COP'ing a plea? That actually stands for Change of Plea (COP). The common definition of it is to plead guilty, as in "copping to the crime."
if the prosecutor happens to be super busy, they may also wind up requesting continuances, further delaying the eventual verdict.
My ex was being prosecuted for a DUI on Schofield housing, and plead not guilty even though she was 100% guilty. She had been drinking and taking prescription meds, then hit a parked rental car. The prosecutor from the judge magistrate's office was very pregnant. It took 4 months for the prosecutor to hand the case over to someone else when she went on maternity leave. She had asked for a continuance for each court date because of pregnancy issues. My ex's defense lawyer convinced the new prosecutor to reduce the charges to driving while distracted since she'd gone so long after the arrest with no further bad behavior. She was sentenced to 6 months deferred sentence, meaning after 6 months, if no further law enforcement encounters, her case would be dismissed -- and it was. The other factor that helped her was the meds she took were just prescribed the day before, and her story was they had caused an adverse reaction including not knowing she'd started drinking wine after taking them.