Every
plea shall be entered upon the record of the court and shall have the following effect:
| (1) |
A plea of not guilty is a denial of the guilt of the accused and puts in issue every material allegation of the information or indictment; |
Terms Used In Utah Code 77-13-2
- Allegation: something that someone says happened.
- Indictment: The formal charge issued by a grand jury stating that there is enough evidence that the defendant committed the crime to justify having a trial; it is used primarily for felonies.
- 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.
| (2) |
A plea of guilty is an acknowledgment that the accused is guilty of the offense charged; and |
| (3) |
A plea of no contest indicates the accused does not challenge the charges in the information or indictment and if accepted by the court shall have the same effect as a plea of guilty and imposition of sentence may be rendered in the same manner as if a plea of guilty had been entered. |
Enacted by Chapter 15, 1980 General Session
