3. If you've pleaded not guilty to a serious felony, the judge who'd preside over your trial has a pre-trial hearing with you and tells you what kind of sentence you'd get if you went to trial and were found guilty, vs. what you could expect in a plea bargain (a lot less). This strikes me as intimidation--your lawyer should work out a plea bargain possibility with the prosecutor, not the judge who'd hear your case and sentence you.