Rule 25.9 Determining Accuracy of Plea.

Before a judge can finalize a guilty plea or a "no contest" plea, the judge must ask questions in open court to confirm that the facts of the case actually support the charge. The judge cannot simply take the plea and move on without checking that what happened matches the crime being charged.

This protects both the court and the person entering the plea. Even if someone says "guilty," the judge needs to hear enough facts to make sure the plea makes sense for the charge. This questioning becomes part of the official court record.