A
deferred prosecution agreement (DPA), which is very similar to a
non-prosecution agreement (NPA), is a voluntary alternative to
adjudication in which a
prosecutor agrees to grant
amnesty in exchange for the
defendant agreeing to fulfill certain requirements. A case of
corporate fraud, for instance, might be settled by means of a deferred-prosecution agreement in which the defendant agrees to pay fines, implement corporate reforms, and fully cooperate with the investigation. Fulfillment of the specified requirements will then result in dismissal of the charges.