Texas Government Code 432.070 – Pleas of Accused
(a) If an accused after arraignment makes an irregular pleading or after a plea of guilty sets up matter inconsistent with the plea, if it appears that the accused has entered the plea of guilty improvidently or through lack of understanding of its meaning and effect, or if the accused fails or refuses to plead, a plea of not guilty shall be entered in the record, and the court shall proceed as though the accused had pleaded not guilty.
(b) With respect to a charge or specification to which a plea of guilty has been made by the accused and accepted by the military judge, or by a court-martial without a military judge, a finding of guilty on the charge or specification may, if permitted by regulations of the governor, be entered immediately without vote. This finding constitutes the finding of the court unless the plea of guilty is withdrawn before the announcement of the sentence, in which event the proceedings shall continue as though the accused had pleaded not guilty.
Terms Used In Texas Government Code 432.070
- Arraignment: A proceeding in which an individual who is accused of committing a crime is brought into court, told of the charges, and asked to plead guilty or not guilty.
- 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.