§ 135.700 Disallowance of demurrer

If a defendant challenges the charges against them with a demurrer (a legal objection saying the charges are flawed) and the judge rejects it, the case moves forward. The defendant then gets a chance to enter a plea, like guilty or not guilty.

The defendant has to enter that plea right away, or within whatever time the judge allows. If the defendant refuses to plea or just doesn't respond, the court will automatically enter a "not guilty" plea for them. This means the case simply continues instead of getting stuck just because the defendant won't cooperate.

In short, this rule keeps criminal cases moving. Even if a defendant tries to avoid entering a plea after losing their objection, the court has a built in way to keep things on track.