I was a longtime ADA and am currently working on a PhD in Criminal Justice. The topic of Aldford pleas came up in a class and I was just curious if people use them in Texas. None of the judges I practiced in front of would accept a plea if the defendant maintained his innocence.

When I was a defense attorney, I had a few judges that would take a nolo contendre plea. Usually they were county judges doing misdemeanors though. As long as they said no contest, that's all that mattered. If they ever say not guilty or I'm innocent, there was no plea.