In some cases, firms that are accused of antitrust violations by federal authorities will plead guilty to the criminal charges in order to avoid facing the same charges in a private or civil trial. Why?

A) Attorneys in civil cases tend to be more effective at proving their claims.
B) The penalties for a conviction in a civil or private case are treble damages, or three times larger than the penalties in a criminal or public case.
C) Judges in criminal cases are known to be more lenient.
D) none of the above

B