Does a defendant's plea of guilty or no contest constitute an admission of every element of the charge?

California, United States of America


The following excerpt is from People v. Melger, C082564 (Cal. App. 2017):

Defendant's claim of insufficient evidence is likewise without merit. A plea of guilty or no contest "admits all matters essential to conviction." (People v. DeVaughn (1977) 18 Cal.3d 889, 895.) "A criminal defendant's . . . plea . . . constitutes an admission of every element of the offense charged . . . and concedes the prosecution

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