Definition of nolo contendere
Etymology
Directly from Latin nolo contendere (“I do not wish to contend”).
Noun
nolo contendere (plural nolo contenderes)
- (law) No contest. The designation of a plea that means that the defendant does not admit the charge, but has no means to dispute it that the court will recognize.
Further reading
Nolo contendere is a legal term that comes from the Latin for "I do not wish to contend." It is also referred to as a plea of no contest.
In criminal trials, and in some common law jurisdictions, it is a plea where the defendant neither admits nor disputes a charge, serving as an alternative to a pleading of guilty or not guilty.
A no-contest plea, while not technically a guilty plea, has the same immediate effect as a guilty plea, and is often offered as a part of a plea bargain. In many jurisdictions a plea of nolo contendere is not a right, and carries various restrictions on its use.
References:
- Wiktionary. Published under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
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