Why did the defendant enter a not-guilty plea with all the evidence against them?
• There are many reasons for this. First of all, no matter what evidence exists in the case, persons accused of crimes are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Most defendants are represented by an attorney, who in many cases has not reviewed the entire case file prior to the first court hearing. Courts also have specific calendars for defendant’s to enter guilty pleas and be sentenced, and would prefer these hearings take place on that calendar. Other times, defendants will want time to discuss their options with their attorney before making a decision at the first court hearing, and may choose to go to trial. For all of these reasons, it is very common for defendants to enter not-guilty pleas at their first court hearing.
