No Contest Vs Guilty In Utah
Description
Form popularity
FAQ
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.
Any statements you make at the podium if pleading guilty may and will be used against you in any subsequent personal injury action. Therefore, it is generally best to plead “no contest,” which means that you are guilty, but your plea cannot be used against you in other court proceedings.
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.
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).
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).
This can be advantageous if a trial's outcome is uncertain or if a defendant doesn't want facts in the case to be aired out in public in a criminal proceeding. This can also be done by pleading guilty. However, a no contest plea cannot be used as evidence against a defendant in a civil lawsuit for the same act.
contest plea is a statement made by the defendant in a criminal case where they neither admit nor deny the charges against them but agree to accept punishment. Essentially, it's a way for the defendant to avoid admitting guilt while acknowledging that the prosecution has enough evidence to likely convict them.
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).
