Nolo contendere is a type of legal plea used in some jurisdictions in the United States. It is also referred to as a plea of no contest or no defense. It is a plea where the defendant neither admits nor disputes a charge, and it serves as an alternative to pleading guilty or not guilty. A no-contest plea means that defendants refuse to admit or deny guilt but accept punishment as if guilty, and is often offered as a part of a plea bargain.