Tex. Code Crim. Proc. art. 27.16 · Chapter 27. THE PLEADING IN CRIMINAL ACTIONS
PLEA OF NOT GUILTY, HOW MADE.
Text — Current through the 89th 2nd Called Legislative Session, 2025
(a) The plea of not guilty may be made orally by the defendant or by his counsel in open court. If the defendant refuses to plead, the plea of not guilty shall be entered for him by the court.
(b) A defendant charged with a misdemeanor for which the maximum possible punishment is by fine only may, in lieu of the method provided in Subsection (a) of this article, mail to the court a plea of not guilty.
Notes and commentary — not statutory text
History
Acts 1965, 59th Leg., p. 317, ch. 722, Sec. 1, eff. Jan. 1, 1966. Amended by Acts 1977, 65th Leg., p. 2143, ch. 858, Sec. 2, eff. June 16, 1977.
Source of truth
- Edition
- Current through the 89th 2nd Called Legislative Session, 2025
- Official file
- https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/CR/htm/CR.27.htm
- Text hash
- sha256 8085a997aa89d746bda3d78de527d3bfc21e74ba4557bc924c0c54e499e85201
- Composed by
- compose_tx.py 2026-10-05: the Legislative Council's chapter files read in document order; verify_tx.py's independent reading (lxml DOM walk) agrees character for character
Cited by 2 provisions
Provisions in this library whose text cites Tex. Code Crim. Proc. art. 27.16. Each shows the citation as that text prints it.
Procedural information only. Not legal advice and not a substitute for the advice of an attorney. Confirm the current text with the official publisher before relying on it.