Opinion No.

The Honorable Larry Goodwin State Representative P.O. Box 129 Cave City, Arkansas 72521-0129

This is in response to your request for an opinion on the following question:

Does a plea of `nolo contendere'1 constitute a felony conviction?

In my opinion, this question cannot be answered with a simple "yes" or "no." The answer to this question may depend upon the context in which it arises and what happens after the plea. In many cases, the question of whether a conviction has occurred turns not upon the nature of the plea, but upon whether a judgment of conviction is later entered and sentence…