Rule 8 Plea of Guilty; Procedure

Before accepting a plea of guilty or nolo contendere for non-payable violations, the defendant may be placed under oath, and the court must address the defendant personally in open court. During this address, the court must inform the defendant of, and determine that the defendant understands, the following:

(a) the Commonwealth’s right, in a prosecution for perjury or false statement, to use against the defendant any statement that the defendant gives under oath;

(b) the right to plead not guilty, or having already so pleaded, to persist in that plea;

(c) the right to a trial;

(d) the right to be represented by counsel—and if necessary have the court appoint counsel—at trial and at every other stage of the proceeding;

(e) the right at trial to confront and cross-examine adverse witnesses, to be protected from compelled self-incrimination, to testify and present evidence, and to compel the attendance of witnesses;

(f) the defendant’s waiver of these trial rights if the court accepts a plea of guilty or nolo contendere;

(g) the nature of each charge to which the defendant is pleading;

(h) any maximum possible penalty, including imprisonment, fine, and special parole or supervised release terms;

(i) any mandatory minimum penalty;

(j) any applicable forfeiture;

(k) the court’s authority to order restitution;

(l) the court’s obligation to impose a fee;

(m) the terms of any plea agreement provision waiving the right to appeal or to collaterally attack the sentence; and

(n) that, if convicted, a defendant who is not a United States citizen may be removed from the United States, denied citizenship, and denied admission to the United States in the future.