What does it mean to “enter a not guilty plea” in a criminal or traffic case?
A plea is a person’s formal response to a criminal or traffic charge. A person charged with a criminal or traffic offense is called the defendant. A defendant is typically called upon to enter a plea at arraignment, which is the person’s first appearance in court. The defendant can choose from the pleas of guilty, not guilty, not guilty by reason of insanity, and no contest. Entering a plea refers to the judge’s act of formally noting a defendant’s plea, or “entering” it, in the court’s official file.
