{"id":2018,"date":"2022-06-06T19:07:15","date_gmt":"2022-06-06T19:07:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.delewislaw.com\/blog\/?p=2018"},"modified":"2022-06-06T19:07:15","modified_gmt":"2022-06-06T19:07:15","slug":"frequently-asked-questions-about-no-contest-pleas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.delewislaw.com\/blog\/frequently-asked-questions-about-no-contest-pleas\/","title":{"rendered":"Frequently Asked Questions About No Contest Pleas"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Although a No Contest plea is a common alternative to a guilty or not guilty plea, it may or may not be the right choice for your criminal case. Continue below to learn what you need to know by reviewing these frequently asked questions about no contest pleas in Indiana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Criminal
Criminal Lawyers Indianapolis Indiana 317-636-7514<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

FAQS About No Contest Pleas<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

What is a No Contest Plea?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo Contest\u201d, or nolo contendere<\/em> in legalese, literally translates to, \u201cI do not wish to contend.\u201d A No Contest plea<\/a> is used as an alternative to pleading guilty<\/em> or not guilty<\/em>. Essentially, when a defendant chooses to plead no contest<\/em>, they are neither admitting nor disputing the charges against them. Although a defendant does not admit guilt, the plea will elicit a criminal conviction in court. Accordingly, a No Contest plea is essentially the same as a guilty plea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many people confuse No Contest pleas to \u201cAlford\u201d pleas. Although nolo contendere pleas are similar to Alford pleas in that both do not admit guilt, they still accept the punishment under a guilty conviction. Under an Alford plea, a defendant is saying they are innocent, but will accept the guilty conviction and subsequent penalties. Under a nolo contendere plea, a defendant is not admitting guilt nor claiming to be innocent. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What are the Pros and Cons of Using a No Contest Plea?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There are many noted advantages of pleading no contest<\/a> in a criminal case. As for benefits, nolo contendere pleas are wise in criminal cases that might also result in civil action. If a civil lawsuit were to arise, the defendant\u2019s guilty conviction upon pleading no contest<\/em> cannot be used as evidence against them. Additional benefits of a nolo contendere plea include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b7 Lower Attorney Fees and Court Costs
\u25b7 Shorter Trial Process
\u25b7 Publicity\/Reputation Protection
\u25b7 Potential for Lighter Sentences
\u25b7 Stopping Further Investigation<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the other hand, there are also some critical disadvantages of pleading no contest. First and foremost, a No Contest plea is essentially a guilty plea because it renders a guilty conviction and subsequent sentence. Basically, defendants are punished just as they would be had they entered a guilty plea. Additional disadvantages of No Contest pleas include having a conviction on your permanent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How Do I Plead No Contest to My Criminal Charges?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Courts must grant approval before a defendant can enter a nolo contendere plea. So, your first step to determining your eligibility for pleading no contest<\/em> would be to hire a criminal defense lawyer. They can arrange all the motions and paperwork asking the courts for permission to enter a No Contest plea. Some defendants will be denied.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Should I Plead No Contest to a Minor Charge?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Although they are a type of guilty plea, pleading no contest<\/em> can be beneficial for you when facing minor criminal charges, especially if the prosecution is offering it in a plea deal. Most often, plea deals are used to negotiate, which is why they are also called plea bargains<\/a><\/em>. Prosecution will offer a reduced charge or sentence in return for the defendant\u2019s guilty plea, or in this case, a No Contest plea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do I Need a Lawyer if I Am Going to Plead No Contest?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

It is important to discuss your plea options with your defense lawyer. Hopefully you choose to hire a private criminal attorney in Indianapolis<\/a>, as public defenders are overloaded with cases and cannot put much time or focus on a defendant\u2019s case like a private lawyer can. If you want the best possible outcome to your criminal case, you will need private, personal defense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With your lawyer, you can decide which plea is the best fit for your criminal circumstance. Each case is different, and everyone\u2019s criminal history is different, so your best options will differ from the defendant down the street. In fact, you cannot just choose a no contest plea; in most states, defendants require permission from the courts first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you ready to fight your Indiana criminal charges and potential avoid having to enter a plea altogether?<\/strong> Contact Attorney David E. Lewis<\/a> at 317-636-7514 to schedule a free initial consultation with a seasoned Indianapolis IN criminal defense lawyer<\/a> you can trust. We also represent defendants charged in Indiana but who live in another state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Related Posts:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What if I Regret Entering a Guilty Plea?<\/a>
The Pros and Cons of Taking a Plea Deal<\/a>
Do I Withdraw My Plea or File an Appeal?<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Although a No Contest plea is a common alternative to a guilty or not guilty plea, it may or may not be the right choice for your criminal case. Continue below to learn what you need to know by reviewing … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2019,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,1],"tags":[6,4,1582,370,1581,987,253,723,1580],"class_list":["post-2018","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-criminal-defense","category-criminal-law","tag-criminal-defense-lawyer-indianapolis","tag-criminal-law","tag-no-contest-plea-deal","tag-no-contest-pleas","tag-no-contest-pleas-pros-cons","tag-nolo-contendere","tag-plea-bargains","tag-plea-deals","tag-plead-no-contest"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.delewislaw.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2018","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.delewislaw.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.delewislaw.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.delewislaw.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.delewislaw.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2018"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.delewislaw.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2018\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2020,"href":"https:\/\/www.delewislaw.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2018\/revisions\/2020"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.delewislaw.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2019"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.delewislaw.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2018"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.delewislaw.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2018"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.delewislaw.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2018"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}