a form of guilty plea and has the same legal effect as a guilty plea

a guilty plea that permits a sex offender to verbally maintain his or her innocence at conviction

a plea bargain in which the accused does not admit guilt

a plea in which the defendant does not admit the act, but admits that the prosecution could likely prove the charge

a plea in which the defendant pleads either guilty or no contest, while either maintaining his innocence or not admitting having committed the crime

a plea where the Defendant can insist he is innocent, but nevertheless consent to take the deal offered by the prosecutor that involves pleading guilty

In the law of the United States, an Alford plea is a plea in criminal court. In this plea, the defendant does not admit the act and asserts innocence, but admits that sufficient evidence exists with which the prosecution could likely convince a judge or jury to find the defendant guilty. Upon receiving an Alford plea from a defendant, the court may immediately pronounce the defendant guilty and impose sentence as if the defendant had otherwise been convicted of the crime.