Couple Pleads No Contest In Hit And Run Case
On December 27, 2013 a 23-year-old man was walking on Chautauqua Boulevard in Pacific Palisades. He was allegedly hit by a woman who was driving to her place of work. The man later died from his injuries associated with the accident on December 31, 2014. The woman left the scene after the accident. Her husband later tried to protect her by saying that he was the one driving the vehicle at the time.
On February 6, 2015, the couple pled no contest to charges of leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death and accessory to a hit and run causing death. By pleading “no contest,” the defendants are agreeing to the facts of the case, but they are not admitting guilt.
There are four kinds of pleas: guilty, not guilty, no contest, and not guilty by reason of insanity. If the defendant pleads guilty, they not only admit to the facts as in a no contest plea, but they are also admitting to fault, which assumes that the defendant will accept the legal consequences of their actions. A no contest plea prevents a trial, and it also cannot be used against you in a later case like a guilty plea can. As a rule, there is no way that the judge will turn the no contest plea into a not guilty when he or she hears the plea.
If you or your loved ones are being charged with a crime, talk to an experienced criminal law attorney before making your plea. The attorney can walk you through all of the benefits and drawbacks of each type of plea. For more information, contact Estelle & Kennedy, A Professional Law Corporation at 800-265-4280.