Plea Of Guilty To Capital Offense
Sec. 3. Plea of guilty to capital offense; reception of evidence. – When the accused pleads guilty to a capital offense, the court shall conduct a searching inquiry into the voluntariness and full comprehension of the consequences of his plea and shall require the prosecution to prove his guilt and the precise degree of culpability. The accused may present evidence in his behalf.
WHAT SHOULD THE COURT DO WHEN THE ACCUSED PLEADS GUILTY TO A CAPITAL OFFENSE?
> When the accused pleads guilty to a capital offense, the court should
1. Conduct a searching inquiry into the voluntariness and full comprehension of the consequences of the plea
2. Require the prosecution to present evidence to prove the guilt and the precise degree of culpability of the accused for the purpose of imposing the proper penalty
3. Ask the accused if he desires to present evidence in his behalf and allow him to do so if he desires
> Mandatory for the court to conduct the searching inquiry otherwise, there would be an improvident plea