Louisiana Code of Criminal Procedure 559 – Withdrawal or setting aside of plea of guilty
Terms Used In Louisiana Code of Criminal Procedure 559
- Arrest: Taking physical custody of a person by lawful authority.
- Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
- Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
- Plea: In a criminal case, the defendant's statement pleading "guilty" or "not guilty" in answer to the charges, a declaration made in open court.
A. Upon motion of the defendant and after a contradictory hearing, which may be waived by the state in writing, the court may permit a plea of guilty to be withdrawn at any time before sentence.
B. The court shall not accept a plea of guilty of a felony within forty-eight hours of the defendant’s arrest. When such a plea has been accepted within the forty-eight hour period, the court, upon a motion filed by the defendant within thirty days after the plea was entered, shall set aside the plea and any sentence imposed thereon.
C. The admissibility of a withdrawn plea of guilty and the facts surrounding it, is governed by Louisiana Code of Evidence Article 410.
Acts 1988, No. 515, §3, eff. Jan. 1, 1989; Acts 2014, No. 85, §1.
{{NOTE: See Acts 1988, No. 515, §12, regarding effectiveness and applicability.}}