Montana Code 46-17-203. Plea of guilty — use of two-way electronic audio-video communication
46-17-203. Plea of guilty — use of two-way electronic audio-video communication. (1) Before or during trial, a plea of guilty must be accepted, and a plea of nolo contendere may be accepted with the consent of the court and the prosecutor, when:
Terms Used In Montana Code 46-17-203
- Appeal: A request made after a trial, asking another court (usually the court of appeals) to decide whether the trial was conducted properly. To make such a request is "to appeal" or "to take an appeal." One who appeals is called the appellant.
- Court: means a place where justice is judicially administered and includes the judge of the court. See Montana Code 46-1-202
- Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
- Judge: means a person who is vested by law with the power to perform judicial functions. See Montana Code 46-1-202
- Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
- Nolo contendere: No contest-has the same effect as a plea of guilty, as far as the criminal sentence is concerned, but may not be considered as an admission of guilt for any other purpose.
- Offense: means a violation of any penal statute of this state or any ordinance of its political subdivisions. See Montana Code 46-1-202
- 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.
- Prosecutor: means an elected or appointed attorney who is vested by law with the power to initiate and carry out criminal proceedings on behalf of the state or a political subdivision. See Montana Code 46-1-202
- Public defender: Represent defendants who can't afford an attorney in criminal matters.
- Remand: When an appellate court sends a case back to a lower court for further proceedings.
- State: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the territories. See Montana Code 1-1-201
- Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.
(a)subject to the provisions of subsection (3), the defendant enters a plea of guilty or nolo contendere in open court; and
(b)the court has informed the defendant of the consequences of the plea and of the maximum penalty provided by law that may be imposed upon acceptance of the plea.
(2)(a) Subject to subsection (2)(b), a plea of guilty or nolo contendere in a justice’s court, city court, or other court of limited jurisdiction waives the right of trial de novo in district court. A defendant must be informed of the waiver before the plea is accepted, and the justice or judge shall question the defendant to ensure that the plea and waiver are entered voluntarily.
(b)A defendant who claims that a plea of guilty or nolo contendere was not entered voluntarily may move to withdraw the plea. If the motion to withdraw is denied, the defendant may, within 90 days of the denial of the motion, appeal the denial of a motion to withdraw the plea to district court. The district court may order the office of state public defender, provided for in 2-15-1029, to assign counsel pursuant to the Montana Public Defender Act, Title 47, chapter 1, hold a hearing, and enter appropriate findings of fact, conclusions of law, and a decision affirming or reversing the denial of the defendant’s motion to withdraw the plea by the court of limited jurisdiction. The district court may remand the case. The defendant may not appeal the decision of the district court.
(3)For purposes of this section, in cases in which the defendant is charged with a misdemeanor offense, an entry of a plea of guilty or nolo contendere through the use of two-way electronic audio-video communication, allowing all of the participants to be observed and heard in the courtroom by all present, is considered to be an entry of a plea of guilty or nolo contendere in open court. Audio-video communication may be used if neither party objects and the court agrees to its use. The audio-video communication must operate as provided in 46-12-201.