Legally speaking, a no contest plea has the same effect as a guilty plea on a conviction when it comes to sentencing. Pleading no contest, or nolo contendere, means you do not admit guilt but also do not dispute the charges against you.On the other hand, pleading no contest means you are not admitting guilt but are not contesting the charges either. A no contest plea results in a conviction. It essentially means "I accept the conviction but I don't admit guilt". The advantage of doing one in CA anyway is that a no contest plea cannot be used against you in civil proceedings whereas a guilty plea can. A plea of nolo contendere or no contest is similar to a guilty plea in that it has the same resulta conviction. Pleading no contest means you do not admit guilt but accept the court's punishment as if you were guilty. A no contest plea is similar to a guilty plea. When you plead no contest, you technically admit that you are guilty of the crime being charged.