Nolo Contendere in the United States
The equivalent of a plea of guilty to a criminal charge. The nolo conteyidere plea literally means “I will not contest it.” The nolo contendere or “no contest” plea has value to a criminal defendant only under particular circumstances. While the plea leaves the defendant convicted of the criminal charge, the plea cannot be used against the defendant in a parallel civil action based on the same conduct as the prosecution.
See Also
Plea Bargaining (Criminal Process).
Analysis and Relevance
The nolo contendere plea is the functional equivalent of an admission of criminal guilt, but more accurately is a response that the defendant will neither put forth a defense nor formally admit guilt. It is a strategic option in those cases where the criminal defendant might also have civil liability. Corporations prosecuted for antitrust violations often use the no contest plea to limit potential damage from a collateral civil action. Like a guilty plea, a no contest plea is accepted at the discretion of the court.
Notes and References
- Definition of Nolo Contendere from the American Law Dictionary, 1991, California
Nolo Contendere Definition
I will not contend. A plea to an indictment on which the defendant might be sentenced, but which did not estop him in a civil proceeding for the same cause.
Nolo Contendere in Foreign Legal Encyclopedias
| Link | Description |
|---|---|
| Nolo Contendere | Nolo Contendere in the World Legal Encyclopedia. |
| Nolo Contendere | Nolo Contendere in the European Legal Encyclopedia. |
| Nolo Contendere | Nolo Contendere in the Asian Legal Encyclopedia. |
| Nolo Contendere | Nolo Contendere in the UK Legal Encyclopedia. |
| Nolo Contendere | Nolo Contendere in the Australian Legal Encyclopedia. |
For starting research in the law of a foreign country:
Browse the American Encyclopedia of Law for Nolo Contendere
Scan Nolo Contendere in the appropriate area of law:
| Link | Description |
|---|---|
| Nolo Contendere | Nolo Contendere in the Family Law Portal of the American Encyclopedia of Law. |
| Nolo Contendere | Nolo Contendere in the IP Portal of the American Encyclopedia of Law. |
| Nolo Contendere | Nolo Contendere in the Commercial Law Portal of the American Encyclopedia of Law. |
| Nolo Contendere | Nolo Contendere in the Criminal Law Portal of the American Encyclopedia of Law. |
| Nolo Contendere | Nolo Contendere in the Antritrust Portal of the American Encyclopedia of Law. |
| Nolo Contendere | Nolo Contendere in the Bankruptcy Law Portal of the American Encyclopedia of Law. |
| Nolo Contendere | Nolo Contendere in the Constitutional Law Portal of the American Encyclopedia of Law. |
| Nolo Contendere | Nolo Contendere in the Tax Law Portal of the American Encyclopedia of Law. |
| Nolo Contendere | Nolo Contendere in the and Finance and Banking Portal of the American Encyclopedia of Law. |
| Nolo Contendere | Nolo Contendere in the Employment and Labor Portal of the American Encyclopedia of Law. |
| Nolo Contendere | Nolo Contendere in the Personal Injury and Tort Portal of the American Encyclopedia of Law. |
| Nolo Contendere | Nolo Contendere in the Environmental Law Portal of the American Encyclopedia of Law. |
Explore other Reference Works
| Resource | Description |
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| Nolo Contendere in the Dictionaries | Nolo Contendere in our legal dictionaries |
| http://lawi.us/nolo-contendere | The URI of Nolo Contendere (more about URIs) |
| Nolo Contendere related entries | Find related entries of Nolo Contendere |
Legal Issue for Attorneys
I will not contend. A plea to an indictment on which the defendant might be sentenced, but which did not estop him in a civil proceeding for the same cause.
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Notice
This definition of Nolo Contendere Is based on the The Cyclopedic Law Dictionary . This definition needs to be proofread..
Plain-English Law
Nolo Contendere as defined by Nolo’s Encyclopedia of Everyday Law (p. 437-455):
A plea entered by the defendant in response to being charged with a crime. A defendant who pleads nolo contendere neither admits nor denies commiting the crime but agrees to a punishment (usually a fine or jail time).
Nolo Contendere
United States Constitution
According to the Encyclopedia of the American Constitution, about its article titled 207 NOLO CONTENDERE(Latin: “I do not choose to contest [it This statement, variously defined as plea and not a plea, indicates that the defendant will not fight a charge against him. Of the same immediate effect as a guilty plea, it admits the facts charged but cannot be used as a confession of guilt
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Nolo Contendere Definition in the context of the Federal Court System
No contest. A plea of nolo contendere has the same effect as a plea of guilty, as far as the criminal sentence is concerned, but may not be considered as an admission of guilt for any other purpose.
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