united-states plea contempt-of-court
Is it possible to plead &#39;indifferently&#39;?
<p>I'm aware of the concept of non-standard pleas, but I'm unsure about how they operate in practice.</p>
<p>What might happen if a person were to plead something to the effect of 'I plead indifference to/non-recognition of the proceedings and judgement of the judiciary'? Would this simply be regarded as a type of not-guilty plea? Can a person be compelled to select a standard plea under the threat of being found in contempt of court?</p>

<p><a href="/questions/tagged/canada" class="post-tag" title="show questions tagged &#39;canada&#39;" aria-label="show questions tagged &#39;canada&#39;" rel="tag" aria-labelledby="canada-container">canada</a></p>
<p>Section 606 of the Criminal Code says that &quot;[a]n accused who is called on to plead may plead guilty or not guilty, or the special pleas authorized by this Part.&quot;</p>
<p>One of the special pleas is <em>res judicata</em>, but there is no special plea amounting to indifference.</p>
<p>If an accused &quot;refuses to plead or does not answer directly, the court shall order the clerk of the court to enter a plea of not guilty.&quot;</p>

<p>In the <a href="/questions/tagged/united-states" class="post-tag" title="show questions tagged &#39;united-states&#39;" aria-label="show questions tagged &#39;united-states&#39;" rel="tag" aria-labelledby="united-states-container">united-states</a>, it may be possible to plead <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nolo_contendere" rel="nofollow noreferrer">no contest</a>. Doing so does recognize the proceedings, but it saves the defendant from actively admitting <em>guilt</em>.</p>
