In a court of law, what is "No contest" ?

Question

In a court of law, what is "No contest" ?

Answer 1

By pleading "No Contest," also known as an Alford Plea, you are basically entering a guilty plea without admitting guilt. You are saying that the prosecution may indeed have enough evidence to convict you of the crime with which you are charged, but not saying "I did it."

Answer 2

The best way to put this is like a kid saying to his mom " I didn't break the cookie jar but I'll clean up the mess. You're not admitting guilt but you aren't denying it happened.

Answer 3

Accepting the charges without a trial.

Answer 4

Nolo Contendre

Answer 5

In response to a criminal charge, one can plead guilty, not guilty, not guilty by reason of insanity or nolo contendre.  No contest is the english version of nolo contendre.  It is a plea that the defendant does not wish to contest the charges.  The court treats it as a guilty plea.  The only significance to it is that the plea itself is not admissible in a subsequent civil action to prove liability. The conviction that follows is admissible but not the -plea itself.

Answer 6

No contest is when you do not admit to the charges or deny them either. In a No Contest plea you will always have the evidence read against you and be found guilty. Basically it is opleading guilty without admitting openly to guilt. It is often used when a plea bargin has been agreed upon between the defendant and the DA.

Answer 7

Your not denying the crime but not admitting to it either.  Always go that route if given the chance,

Answer 8

Accepting the charges without a trial is called a pea bargain and unless a special request is made to plead no contest and take a plea bargain and it is approved my the judge and the prosecutor then you are pleading guilty. When you enter into a plea of no contest you are going to get the same treatment as if you had plead guilty but it means that you are neither admitting or denying that you are responsible for the crime you are being charged with. Most people enter into a plea of no contest because they think they are protecting their reputation, not true.

SEAN response hit it dead on.