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Tennessee Criminal Law: Types of Pleas

By Baker Associates

The choice of how to plead to criminal charges in Tennessee can be a difficult and confusing matter. It can also be very stressful given the consequences that flow from entering a plea. The following is a brief description of the various pleas available in Tennessee. Not Guilty Plea - To plead ?not guilty? is a Constitutional right. In fact, where the defendant fails to appear, the court must enter a plea of not guilty. By pleading not guilty, the defendant denies every material allegation of the prosecution?s complaint. A defendant who pleads guilty may rely on defenses, including affirmative defenses that admit certain facts while asserting other facts that, if proven, relieve the defendant from liability. Guilty Plea - A guilty plea is the defendant?s admission in open court that he has committed the offense for which he has been charged...continue to full post

Full post as published by Tennessee Criminal Lawyer Blog on May 30, 2009 (boomark / email).