Lesser Included Offense (LIE) is a legal term used to describe a criminal offense that is less serious than the one with which the defendant is originally charged. It is an offense that is automatically included in the indictment for the more serious offense, and carries a lesser punishment. Lies are often used in plea bargain negotiations to help reduce the charges against a defendant. There are two types of Lies: lesser-graded offenses and lesser-included offenses. A lesser-graded offense is one that is the same as the original charge but is considered less serious by law. For example, first-degree murder is usually reduced to second-degree murder in plea bargaining. A lesser-included offense is one that is legally considered to be a lesser version of the original charge. For example, theft could be reduced to shoplifting. In most cases, a defendant can only be convicted of an LIE if the prosecutor can prove all the elements of the more serious offense, but not all of them to the same degree. For example, if the prosecutor cannot prove premeditation in a murder charge, the defendant may be convicted of manslaughter instead.