How does no contest work in humboldt or anywhere?
If I can plea it there, and what the difference is from guilty
3 Responses
trooper3316
03 Feb 2010
Kenneth C
03 Feb 2010
The difference is this.
If you are guilty, you declare you are guilty and you are given the punishment.
If you plead no contest, you are saying "I chose not to contest these charges".
Generally it has the same effect as pleading guilty since you choose to accept the punishment. There are some slight differences, such as, you don’t have to explain yourself to the judge as you sometimes do with a guilty plea and it won’t have the same effect on a later civil trial.
.. .this canR
03 Feb 2010
None, your life is ruined either way. Fight it – especially if you are innocent.
You basically have four options: Guilty, Not Guilty, No Contest, or you can stand mute. I won’t waste time with guilty/not guilty.
No contest is not an admission of guilt, it simply means you chose not to fight the charge. The court will find you guilty, however, the big difference is a no contest plea can not be used against you in a civil trial.
This mostly comes into play with a traffic accident. If you plea guilty, or plea not guilty and the court finds you guilty, that can be used against you if the other person, or insurance company, sue you. A no contest plea prevents this.
By standing mute, the judge will enter a plea of not guilty on your behalf.