A Georgia NOLO Plea is treated like a Guilty Plea, but has some benefits including license suspension, license points and civil matters.
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This article is for informational purposes only. Â If you have already concluded your case, please call your original attorney or a lawyer in the conviction county if you have any questions about your particular case.
If you have a question on how your old case is being reported, you may want to contact the conviction county’s Clerk of Court and also run your own background check at your local Sheriff’s Office.
Nolo or No Contest plea is essentially a guilty plea by another name. Probably the best use of a Nolo plea in Georgia is for a Marijuana Possession of less than one ounce, various driving infractions or avoiding an admission in a civil case.
In regards to a Nolo Georgia plea on a Marijuana Possession of less than one ounce, usually a Nolo plea, completion of DUI School and the payment of a fine will allow a defendant to have their probation terminate early or go non-reporting. This is an alternative that many choose when not wanting to do the conditions required in a Conditional Discharge. A Nolo Georgia plea and completion of DUI School will save a defendant’s license on a Marijuana Possession of less than one ounce case. (Almost all drug offenses in Georgia result in a license suspension, even if not driving.)
A Nolo Georgia plea for many driving offenses is an option depending on the charge, and the age of the driver. The benefits of a Nolo plea on a Georgia Traffic Ticket could potentially be that no points are assessed and it may make it harder for a car insurance company to become aware of the infraction. Please note a Nolo plea never prevents a commercial disqualification.
Additionally, a No Contest Plea is not an admission of guilt and cannot be used in a civil case against the defendant as an admission. For example, simply paying a Running a Stop Sign ticket can generally be used as an admission in a Georgia Personal Injury Lawsuit stemming from the accident. If a Nolo is allowed, it is not a Civil Lawsuit admission of the violation.
In any attempt to plea No Contest or Nolo, the judge must approve the plea. A Nolo plea in Georgia can only be used every 5 years. Almost all judges only allow one Nolo per person every five years, some judges allow a Nolo of different charges, so long as not the same charge. Once at the Georgia Department of Driver Services (DDS), the DDS may not honor an improper granting of a Nolo.
At A. Bishop Law, our Georgia Criminal Defense Attorney welcomes questions on Criminal Defense laws, Traffic Laws and Georgia DUI laws. Please Call or Email us with any questions.
About the attorney:  Anne Bishop is a Georgia lawyer with A. Bishop Law in Gainesville, Georgia and handles various DUI / DWI, Marijuana Arrests and other Georgia Criminal Defense matters.  The law office of A. Bishop Law can assist clients throughout Georgia including: Hall County (Gainesville, Oakwood, Flowery Branch), Jackson County  (Jefferson, Braselton) White County (Helen, Cleveland), Lumpkin County (Dahlonega), Dawson County (Dawsonville), Habersham County (Demorest, Cornelia), and all of Northeast Georgia.
This article and/or video should not be considered nor relied upon as legal advice since it is only intended for general overview and informational purposes. Please consult with an attorney on your specific situation in order to determine an appropriate legal course of action.