GaGirl583 said:
My fiance got a speeding ticket and he was doing 32 over and he was 20 at the time. The officer said he was going 87, but his car registered about 70-72 (he has a 4x4 with bigger tires.) Friends have told him to plead nolo. Neither one of us has ever heard of it before, and we would like to know what it is, and what do you think that is going to happen to him (suspended license, how much of a fine, etc.) Thank you!
My response:
A plea of nolo contendere (or "no contest") to a crime punishable as a felony has the same legal effect as a plea of guilty (admissible in a civil action against the defendant pleader but is not conclusive). On the other hand, a nolo contendere plea in nonfelony criminal actions may not be used against the defendant as an admission in any civil suit based on the same act.
So, unless there was another vehicle affected by your fiance's speeding, it wouldn't matter if he merely pleaded "guilty."
Driving on a suspended license is going to get him a few days in jail or extended community service (picking up trash along the highways), along with a hefty fine. It's up to the judge to set the amount of time, and the amount of the fine.
To say that your fiance was exceedingly "dumb" is probably an understatement. While on a "suspended license", he was doing everything to "attract attention" to himself - - speeding, driving a four-wheeler with big tires, etc.
Why didn't he just wave a flag saying, "Hey everybody - - I'm driving on a suspended license!" He may as well have.
Ah, youth. They think they're invincible!
IAAL