Legal Question in Criminal Law in Utah

Re: Pleas

I believe what you are talking about is a "plea in abeyance." If a prosecutor offers you a plea in abeyance, what it means is that you will enter your plea, either no contest or guilty, before the court. That plea is then not entered for a certain period of time, as laid down by the court. During that time, you must do the things that the court tells you to do (which may include paying a fine, doing community service hours, going to counseling, staying out of trouble, etc). If you complete what the judge has told you to do during the time he or she has ordered, then at the end of the period, the case is dismissed as if it were never filed. Depending upon the facts of the case, it can be a great way to settle a case. There are some crimes, such as sex crimes, etc, that are not eligible for a plea in abeyance, and the prosecutor must be willing to agree to it.