§ 523 Refusal to plead.

If someone charged with a crime won't respond to the charges against them, either by challenging the charges legally or entering a plea, the court will step in. The judge will simply enter a plea of "not guilty" on that person's behalf.

This protects the defendant's rights and keeps the case moving forward. Nobody can stop a criminal case just by refusing to say anything. The court treats silence or refusal to plead the same as if the person had said "not guilty" themselves.

This means the case then proceeds like any other case where someone pleaded not guilty. The defendant still gets a trial, and the prosecution still has to prove the charges. Staying silent doesn't help the defendant avoid the process, it just means the case moves ahead without their input on that particular step.