Often a criminal case can last more than a year before the defendant appears before the courts, so it would be to the defendant's advantage to speed up the process. Especially in a case where his defense is not as strong as one might hope or in a case where the Crown's case is particularly strong. If the defendant accepts the plea, the only tasks to be performed are the hearing of the facts and, if agreed upon, the hearing of the sentence. If the charge were less serious, one could be released from prison before their first day in custody