Acquittal After Not Guilty Plea
Nora Nash entered a nient culpable plea to a theft charge. The trier of fact returned a finding of not guilty. Under the governing rule that outcome barred any later prosecution for the same offense.
Also known as: nient-culpable · not guilty
Written by attorneys · grounded in primary & secondary sources — see below
A historical general plea of not guilty in a tort or criminal action.
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Nora Nash entered a nient culpable plea to a theft charge. The trier of fact returned a finding of not guilty. Under the governing rule that outcome barred any later prosecution for the same offense.
In a medieval manor court Nikhil Narayan refused to answer the charge. The court therefore entered a nient culpable plea on his behalf. The case then proceeded to trial on that plea.
In an early common-law prosecution Nolan Nunez tendered a nient culpable plea. The prosecution still had to prove a voluntary act as part of its case. Without that proof the defendant could not be convicted.
Natalie Norris filed a nient culpable plea as one of the required pleadings. The indictment and the plea together framed the issues for trial. No other responsive pleading was needed.
Noah Nakamura entered a nient culpable plea and thereby put the prosecution to its proof. The prosecution therefore had to prove he acted purposely or knowingly with respect to each element. Failure on any element required acquittal.
Naveen Nanda filed a nient culpable plea and later sought to rely on mental disease. He first had to give timely written notice of that defense. Without the notice the court excluded the evidence.
It serves as the general denial of guilt and puts every element of the offense at issue for trial.
Supporting sources
A finding of not guilty after that plea constitutes an acquittal that bars retrial for the same offense.
The court must enter the plea when a defendant refuses to plead or when a defendant organization fails to appear.
Yes. Written notice of intent to rely on mental disease or defect must be filed at the time of the plea or within ten days thereafter.
…22, col. 1; N. Y. Times, Aug. 25, 1965, p. 1, col. 1. In general, see Borchard, Convicting the Innocent (1932); Frank & Frank, Not Guilty (1957). [^maj-25]: In the fourth confession case decided by the Court in the 1962 Term, Fay v. Noia , 372 U. S. 391 (1963), our disposition made it unnecessary to delve at length into the…