Table of contents |
2 What if the defendant enters no plea? 3 The Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure |
Guilty and Not Guilty pleas
If the defendant pleads guilty an evidentiary hearing usually follows. The court is not required to accept a guilty plea. During that hearing the judge will assess the offense, mitigating factors, and the defendant's character; and then pass sentence. If the defendant pleads not guilty, a date will be set for a preliminary hearing.
What if the defendant enters no plea?
In the past, a defendant who refused to plea (or, "stood mute") would be subjected to peine forte et dure. But today in all common law jurisdictions a defendant who refuses to enter a plea has a plea of not guilty entered for them on their behalf.