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).

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.

In criminal trials in Pennsylvania and elsewhere, if you enter a nolo contendere plea it means you are basically pleading no contest. In a nolo contendere plea, the prosecution and the judge both agree on what the sentence should be but the defendant probably disagrees.

Both misdemeanor and felony convictions remain on your record indefinitely. A no-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).

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.

You can later decide to change your plea to guilty or no contest if you wish. If you plead not guilty you will have a pretrial conference to try to settle your case. There is no penalty for pleading not guilty. Your sentence will not be more severe or less severe based merely on how you plead.

Note that you do not always have the option of pleading no contest instead of pleading guilty. Sometimes prosecutors insist that you plead guilty as part of a plea bargain. And judges do not always have to accept no contest pleas. No contest pleas still result in a conviction.

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In Pennsylvania, a criminal defendant may enter a plea of guilty, not guilty or, at the discretion of the court, "nolo contendere". The main distinction between "no contest" and "guilty" comes down to whether you accept responsibility for the offense or if you don't appeal a conviction.In "no contest" or nolo contendere pleas, the defendant doesn't admit the crime or guilt but offers no contest to the case. If you issue a plea of no contest, you are not legally admitting that you are guilty. However, this plea means you accept the truthfulness of the facts alleged. Convictions from either no contest or guilty pleas will receive the same sentencing and penalties (fines, etc.). By pleading nolo contendere, you are stating that you do not contest the charges against you. A plea of nolo contendere has the same effect as a plea of guilty. The primary benefit of a no contest plea is that it avoids an explicit admission of guilt. Pleading "No Contest" is merely acknoweldging that the State has enough evidence to convict you without you pleading guilty.

No Contest Vs Guilty In Pennsylvania

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