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Pleading No Contest Vs Guilty In Arizona
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Multi-State
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US-0018LTR
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FAQ
A plea of no contest may be accepted only after the court gives due consideration to the parties' views and to the interest of the public in the effective administration of justice.
A guilty plea is an affirmative admission of guilt. A no contest plea is not. Therefore if there are possible civil liability ramifications, such as responsibility for an auto accident, its better to plea no contest, if possible.
contest plea is a legal option for defendants who do not want to admit guilt but do not want to fight the charges.
By maintaining a not guilty plea, you retain the leverage needed to negotiate a more favorable plea agreement. This could result in lesser charges, reduced sentences, or alternative sentencing options that might not be available if you initially plead guilty.
You admit to the allegation. No contest means that you do not admit to actually committing the allegation, you merely admit that the State can produce sufficient evidence for you to be found guilty. In general, no contest is the better way to go, but it probably wouldn't make much difference in your situation.
contest plea will result in a permanent criminal record for both types of offenses unless you successfully petition for expungement or an order of nondisclosure (sealing).
Pleading guilty means you admit that you committed the crime. Pleading no contest (“nolo contendere”) means accepting the conviction but avoiding a factual admission of guilt.
A no contest plea prevents the court from eliciting a defendant's admission of guilt, but the result of the defendant's plea not to contest the charges against him or her is the same as if the defendant had admitted guilt.
More info
"No Contest" – This plea is less often used. In effect, the end result is similar to accepting a guilty plea, but without actually admitting guilt.Pleading "no contest" to a criminal charge means you do not admit fault. Neither are you trying to fight for your innocence in a criminal trial. _____ Guilty or _____ No Contest to all of the charges in the complaint. 2. A court may accept a plea of guilty or no contest only if the defendant enters the plea voluntarily and intelligently. If there is more than one offense alleged in the complaint, I am pleading guilty or no contest to each and every one of the criminal offenses in the complaint. A nocontest plea, also known as nolo contendere, is similar to a guilty plea. When an accused pleads no contest, he or she accepts the conviction but does not admit guilt. A guilty plea is equivalent to a no contest plea.
