Illinois Stipulation is the process by which a defendant in an Illinois court case agrees to certain conditions without the need for a trial. This agreement, known as a stipulation, is usually written and is made between the defendant and the plaintiff, or between the defendant and the court. The stipulation is then approved by the court and becomes a binding legal agreement. The most common types of Illinois Stipulation are plea agreements, deferred prosecution agreements, and consent decrees. A plea agreement is an agreement between the defendant and the prosecutor in which the defendant agrees to plead guilty in exchange for a lesser sentence or reduced charge. A deferred prosecution agreement is an agreement between the defendant and the prosecutor in which the defendant agrees to complete a period of probation or other program in exchange for the prosecutor dropping the charges or reducing the charges. A consent decree is an agreement between the defendant and the court in which the defendant agrees to comply with a court-ordered sentence in exchange for the prosecutor dropping or reducing the charges.