Nolo Contendere Plea - Definition - Law Dictionary Home Dictionary Definition nolo-contendere-plea

nolo contendere plea

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a plea in which the defendant does not admit guilt, but does waive the right to trial and authorize the court to impose punishment at sentencing. Nolo contendere is a Latin term that means "it is not contested." This type of plea is rarely entered. The motivation for entering a nolo plea is that unlike a plea of guilty, a nolo plea may not be used against the defendant as an admission in a related civil case.

Source: Federal Judicial Center