what does NOLO mean in the plea section and status showing convicted. This is a domestic violence case where the man did not touch the woman at all and in order for him to get out of jail because he was going to loose his job it looks like they made him agree to a plea that he did commit a domestic violence crime and he did not touch the woman at all.
Nolo contendre vs, guilty plea. They are essentially the same thing.
The male in your scenario, OP, is a convicted domestic batterer.
Nothing he can say now will change that conviction.
The reason a lawyer would advise a defendant to cop a nolo contendre plea vs. a guilty plea is to allow for a more effective defense when a civil suit is looming.
Let's say Susie Q, after drinking four double martinis left a party and drove home. On her way home, she strikes Mr. Biggy Stuff's Rolls Royce. The accident caused Mr. Stuff to break his left leg, right arm, and embed glass in his jaw.
Ms. Q was unhurt, but blew a .25 at the scene. Ms. Q discussed her legal problems with Mr. El Three, her lawyer. Mr. Three advised Ms. Q to plead nolo contendre, because Mr. Stuff's attorney informed Mr. Three that a civil lawsuit against Ms. Q demanding $5,000,000 in damages was brewing.
In effect, some people believe a nolo plea, in which they don't contest the criminal charges isn't an admission of guilt. But, it mainly can be said at a civil trial that the defendant was never convicted before the criminal bar.
http://criminal.lawyers.com/criminal-law-basics/no-contest-pleas-nolo-contendere.html
With a plea of no contest or nolo contendere, the defendant accepts the punishment for the crime without admitting or denying his guilt. In other words, you don't contest or challenge the charges, and you don't admit to committing the crime or even deny it, but you let the court sentence you for committing the crime.
So, as a practical matter, pleading no contest is essentially the same as pleading guilty. You're convicted of a crime and a punishment or sentence will be imposed. So, why do it?
The main benefit of pleading no contest is that the conviction can't be used against you later in a civil (non-criminal) lawsuit that may come out of the criminal activity. For example, you were involved in a car accident with another car, and the other driver was injured seriously. After accident investigation, you're charged with reckless driving, a crime. If you're allowed to plead no contest to that charge, the other driver can't sue you and use that conviction to prove you're liable for her injuries.
