Q: I have been offered a plea bargain deal, should I accept it?

A: There is no definite answer. If you are pretty sure that you will win, of course, by all means ignore the deal. But for those who are inexperienced or merely trying their luck, just keep in mind that trials can be very unpredictable. And of course if points and/or insurance surcharges matter to you, seriously consider the deal and try to negotiate. For ordinary speeding tickets, the best deal is a no-point offence (e.g. 15km/h or less over). Some courts in the U.S. will allow plea bargain deals to be equipment violations or seatbelt infractions, but I don't think Ontario will accept these. It doesn't hurt to try though, after all they are more interested in money than anything else. Non-moving violations are the best deals period, since they carry no points and won't affect your insurance. If the Crown won't give you a non-moving, at least get a 15km/h over, this way only your insurance could be affected. If the original charge is of the more serious type, bargain one that is two brackets down. I have seen a clueless defendant accept a 29km/h over deal for an original 35km/h over charge. To me this is a ripoff because 29km/h over is still a 3-point offence and the modest reduction in fines couldn't even compensate the lost time spent in court (he sat there for two hours before striking a deal during the recess, when the prosecution felt that they couldn't finish all of their cases in time). The bottom line is, before you accept a deal, think about your desired outcome, evaluate your current points tally and insurance situation, and set a realistic goal. If your goal isn't met, also set a limit on what you are willing to accept. If all else fails, there is always the trial.