Plead not guilty meaning trial#

There is still the potential for the prosecution to offer a plea bargain, which you may decide to take. If you plead Not Guilty, you must decide whether to hire a private attorney that you pay. If you enter a plea of Not Guilty, a pretrial conference will be scheduled.

Plead not guilty meaning trial#

If you plead not guilty, your case will go to trial. A plea of Not Guilty means that the defendant denies guilt, and will require that the prosecutor prove the criminal charges at trial beyond a reasonable doubt. As part of the deal, the prosecutor may have agreed to ask the judge for a particular sentence. Therefore, the court does not pronounce someone as innocent but rather not guilty. Not guilty means that the prosecution could not prove 'beyond a reasonable doubt' that a person committed the crime. There may be a plea bargain from the prosecution. In short, 'not guilty' is not the same as 'innocent.' Innocent means that a person did not commit the crime. The judge will determine your sentence based on various factors. No contest means that you do not agree with what you were. If you plead guilty or no contest, your case will move into the sentencing phase. This plea is the same as guilty except for some technical differences. If you plead no contest and the court accepts this plea, then the judge will enter a guilty plea on your behalf. A not guilty plea means that you do not agree with the facts of the case and that you do not admit you committed the crime.Ī no contest plea is where you admit the facts can prove your guilt, but you do not want to admit guilt. If you decide to plead guilty, then you admit that the facts of the case are correct and that you committed the crime. The plea you use will help determine what happens next for you and your legal journey. You can plead not guilty, guilty, or no contest. During this court appearance, you will enter a plea.Īccording to FindLaw, your plea is how you answer to the charges. After an officer places you under arrest for a criminal charge, you will have to go to court for a plea hearing.