v. phr. , slang , colloquial To plead guilty during a trial in the hope of getting a lighter sentence as a result. The murderer of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., copped a plea of guilty, and got away with a life sentence instead of the death penalty.
COP A PLEA
Meaning of COP A PLEA in English
American idioms English vocabulary. Английский словарь американских идиом. 2012