Noun
A plea, by the defendant, in a criminal prosecution, which, without admitting guilt, subjects him to all the consequences of a plea of quilty.
Source: Webster's dictionaryA well known civil rights attorney, Francis Heisler, had volunteered to defend the arrested persons, advising them to plead " nolo contendere ", as an alternative to pleading either guilty or not-guilty. Source: Internet
Pleas of " nolo contendere " (no contest) and the " Alford plea " are allowed in some circumstances. Source: Internet
For instance, a conviction arising from a nolo contendere main plea is subject to any and all penalties, fines, and forfeitures of a conviction from a guilty plea in the same case, and can be considered as an aggravating factor in future criminal actions. Source: Internet
Defendants who have entered a plea of nolo contendere main may only appeal the judgment of the court if the appeal is based on written pretrial motions ruled upon by the court. Source: Internet
However, unlike a guilty plea, a defendant in a nolo contendere main plea may not be required to allocute the charges. Source: Internet
Residual effects A nolo contendere main plea has the same immediate effects as a plea of guilty, but may have different residual effects or consequences in future actions. Source: Internet