What Are the Different Types of Pleas in a Criminal Law Case?

Being the defendant in a criminal law case can be intimidating and frightening. With the threat of massive fines and potential decades of incarceration looming against you, it might feel like no one in the world can help you. 

If you are being prosecuted for allegedly breaking a criminal law, you need to seek professional legal help immediately. The right criminal defense attorney can make the difference between financial stability and ruin — or physical freedom and incarceration. 

If you are the defendant in a criminal law case and are hoping to make a plea deal, you have several options as to what that potential plea might look like. Read on to learn about the different types of pleas in a criminal law case. 

What Is a Criminal Law Case? 

Criminal law is briefly defined as the area of law that relates to crime. A crime is any intentional wrongful act against society, as opposed to a tort, which defines a circumstance in which someone’s negligence causes harm to someone else. Thus, a criminal law case deals with crime instead of torts or other transgressions.

Different Types of Pleas in a Criminal Law Case

When it comes to a criminal law case, you are limited to three plea options: 

Guilty

If you plead guilty, you admit that you committed the crime you are being prosecuted for. 

Not Guilty

Pleading not guilty, or refusing to take responsibility for the crime in question, is the most popular plea for defendants in criminal law cases. 

No Contest

When you plead no contest, you are not technically admitting guilt; you are simply entering a plea bargain to close the case. 

An experienced criminal defense attorney can help you determine which plea deal would be most beneficial to you. 

Seeking Legal Aid to Make a Plea Deal in a Criminal Law Case

If you are a defendant in a criminal law case and want to make a plea deal, contact Shrader & Mendez, the top criminal defense firm in Tampa, Florida, at (813) 360-1529.