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Nolo Contendere also known as No Contest
Nolo Contendere, pronounced “NO-lo kawn-TAWN-dray,” is Latin for “I will not contest.” It is also referred to commonly as pleading No Contest or Standing Mute. It essentially means that the defendant does not admit or deny guilt, but accepts punishment for the crime that is charged. If you signed a citation given to you by a police officer, that does not prevent you from pleading no contest in court.
Pleading nolo contendere allows the court to administer penalties for the crime without the defendant admitting any guilt. This legal procedure can be helpful to a defendant, particularly if there are a number of charges pending. Rather than go through the court system with numerous charges pending, the defendant can plead no contest to lesser charges, thereby “cleaning the slate” of several less onerous crimes in exchange for a lesser punishment.
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