Shortly after you\u2019ve been formally arrested and charged with a crime, you\u2019ll have an arraignment. The arraignment is your first opportunity to tell a judge how you plead. <\/p>\n
At a California arraignment, there are three different ways you can plea:<\/strong><\/p>\n A plea of guilty should be self-explanatory. When you tell the judge that you\u2019re guilty, you admit that you committed the crimes for which you\u2019ve been charged and that you\u2019re ready to face the consequences. While everyone has their own reasons for pleading guilty<\/em> at the arraignment, one of the main reasons they do so is because they\u2019re hoping that by admitting to their guilt right away, they will get a smaller sentence than if the case went to trial.<\/p>\n When you plead not guilty<\/em>, you\u2019re telling the judge that you\u2019re taking no credit for the crimes you\u2019ve been charged with. When you plead not guilty at the arraignment, the case progresses to the next stage and often ends with a jury trial. Many people plead not guilty because they want an opportunity to negotiate with the prosecution and potentially reach a plea agreement that would result in a lesser charge or less severe sentence.<\/p>\n No-contest pleas are a bit confusing. When you plead no contest, you\u2019re telling the judge that you are willing to accept the consequences of the criminal charge<\/em>. In California<\/em>, a no-contest plea<\/em> is handled the same way as a guilty plea. When you plea no-contest<\/em>, your case will go directly from the arraignment phase to the sentencing phase.<\/p>\n The main reason people decide to plea no-contest in California<\/em> is that they are worried about civil lawsuits. While it\u2019s true that the California<\/em> criminal court views a no-contest plea as a guilty plea, the same isn\u2019t true in civil courts. When you plea no-contest, the plaintiff in a civil case can\u2019t say that you ever openly admitted your guilt. <\/p>\n\n
Guilty<\/h2>\n
Not Guilty<\/h2>\n
No-Contest<\/h2>\n