If municipal court does not have a complaint or citation on file, may the court accept a plea of guilty?

• A. Yes
• B. No
• C. Only with a judge's order
• D. Only for minor offenses

Answer: (B)

A guilty plea must attach to a charged offense that is documented in a filed complaint or citation. If there is no charging document on file, there is no specific offense for the defendant to admit guilt to, so the court has no basis to convict or proceed. Accepting a plea without a filed charge would bypass the charging process and infringe on due process and the court’s jurisdiction.

The other ideas don’t fit because a judge’s order cannot create a charge, a guilty plea isn’t allowed to proceed in the absence of a charge, and this requirement applies to all offenses, not just minor ones.