A plea hearing, also referred to as a Felony Early Disposition (FED) hearing, is when the defendant enters a plea of guilty to agreed upon charges. No trial will take place.
The plea bargain is negotiated between the prosecutor, the criminal defense attorney and the defendant. It won't be accepted by the court unless both sides agree to the terms. In many cases, a judge must approve the deal too. The case proceeds to criminal trial if a plea deal agreement is not reached.
Minnesota state courts require “notice pleading,” a looser more generous requirement; it makes it more difficult for defendants to get cases thrown out of court in Minnesota state courts than in our federal courts.
Rule 5 prescribes the procedure at the defendant's initial appearance. In most misdemeanor cases, the initial appearance will also be the time of arraignment and disposition. Rule 5.02 requires the appointment of a qualified interpreter for a defendant disabled in communication.
(a) Each averment of a pleading shall be simple, concise, and direct. No technical forms of pleading or motions are required. (b) A party may set forth two or more statements of a claim or defense alternatively or hypothetically, either in one count or defense or in separate counts or defenses.
Rule 7. Pleadings Allowed; Form of Motions There shall be a complaint and an answer (including such pleadings in a third-party proceeding when a third-party claim is asserted); a reply to a counterclaim denominated as such; and an answer to a cross-claim if the answer contains a cross-claim.