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no contest

No contest or nolo contendere is a plea  by a criminal defendant  that they will not contest a charge . Nolo contendere is a Latin phrase meaning “I will not contest.” A no contest plea does not expressly admit guilt , but nonetheless waives the right to a trial and authorizes the court to treat the criminal defendant as if they were guilty  for purposes of sentencing . However, a no contest plea does not act as an admission of guilt  for any purpose beyond the case in which it is plead. A plea of no contest cannot be used against the defendant in a civil  suit arising from the same cause of action . As a result, when there is an impending threat of a civil suit, a defendant has a strong incentive to plead no contest because a no contest plea does not establish the facts of the prior case and does not act as an admission of fault. Even so, a defendant who testifies  in a subsequent proceeding may be impeached  by their earlier conviction , even if was a result of a no contest plea.

[Last reviewed in February of 2026 by the Wex Definitions Team
] 

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