Admissions & Pleas

When a petition is filed against you, you may plead “not guilty,” which means you will challenge the allegations made against you; you may plead “guilty,” which means that you admit guilt and will not challenge the allegations made against you; and, lastly, you may plead “no contest,” which means that you will not challenge the allegations made against you, but that you do not admit guilt. No contest pleas are subject to other statutory requirements.

For the court to accept your plea, it must be satisfied that you entered the plea knowingly, voluntarily, and understandingly; otherwise, it will not be accepted by the court.

It is important to understand that entering a guilty or no contest plea means that you will be giving up certain rights, such as: the right to a trial by jury or judge, the right to be presumed innocent until proven guilty, the right to question the prosecutor’s witnesses, the right to have witnesses appear on your behalf, and the right to testify on your own behalf.