Plea bargaining was accepted, and in some cases defendants could avoid punishment by making restitution to their victims.

Many defendants in Ms. Stewart's position might avoid the news media on the eve of such a complex trial.

Lawsuits are often settled so that insurance companies and defendants can avoid the time and money involved in trials.

She has helped several high-profile defendants avoid capital punishment.

A defendant in a diversion program can avoid a criminal record if there are no subsequent arrests.

They also said that they had not reached agreement on how to define the mitigating circumstances under which a defendant could avoid capital punishment.

In fact, he said, that experience might have influenced these five defendants to take the plea and avoid the risk of a trial.

In exchange for their pleas, the eight defendants will avoid prison terms.

More basically, they allow guilty defendants to avoid accepting responsibility for their wrongs.

Ms. Coleman cited several cases in which a cultural defense had been used by immigrants and had helped a defendant avoid serious penalties.