9.5: Pleas
- Page ID
- 48415
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If the defendant pleads guilty, there will be no need for trial or all of the steps involved. The plea must be entered verbally by the defendant or their attorney. The judge will inform the accused that they will lose their right to a trial but maintain their right to counsel and they will also inform the consequences of being found guilty and the possible sentences they face. Once the judge establishes that the plea is voluntary, the defendant may be sentenced immediately or a date for a sentencing hearing may be set. The decision to allow the individual to remain in the community since they have admitted their guilt may be revisited.
Not Guilty
With this plea the defendant is denying guilt and maintaining their innocence. Even if the person is not innocent but they wish to have the chance to have a trial to explain the circumstances, they will likely plead not guilty. If this is the plea, the case will move forward to the next steps and the trial date will be set. The decision whether to allow the individual to remain out on release to prepare for their trial, may be considered again.
Nolo Contendere
This plea is similar to the guilty plea because it basically means that the individual is not going to fight the allegations against them. While this plea is similar to a guilty plea in criminal court the important difference becomes evident in civil court. If one admits guilt in criminal court it would be easy to sue them and probably win civil court. With the plea of nolo contendere while the individual will not fight the charges in criminal court, they have not actually admitted guilt and therefore have grounds to fight any lawsuit in civil court.
Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity
While this plea has been made popular in Hollywood productions it is actually used in less than 1% of cases. In that 1% of cases it typically is successful less than .5% of the time. It is difficult to get both prosecution and defense to agree that the defendant is insane and even if both parties agree, this plea is not always successful.