If you are arrested for CDV in Lexington or Columbia South Carolina you will be given a date and time to appear in CDV Court. One question I receive a lot from CDV defendants is whether or not they can appear and plead "no contest".
In South Carolina "no contest" plea is treated the same for all purposes as a guilty plea. All of the penalties for a CDV conviction remain in place. Additionally the Court will not listen to your side of the story after a "no contest" plea and then find you not guilty.
It should be noted that there are no advantages to pleading "no contest." If you believe that you are guilty, and want to accept the severe penalties for a CDV conviction then you can plead guilty. If you feel that you are not guilty of a crime or you want to try to avoid the CDV penalties then you must plead not guilty. There are no advantages or benefits to pleading "no contest" for CDV.
In a "no contest" plea the defendant is not admitting guilty or accepting responsibility for their situation. In this regard some Courts will actually sentence someone who pleads "no contest" harsher than they would if they had plead guilty.
To receive a free in office consultation with a CDV Defense Attorney contact the
Law Office of James R. Snell, Jr., LLC, 24 hours a day at 1-888-301-6004.
