Rule 33. PLEADING BY DEFENDANT · Not amended since adoption on record · Last verified July 17, 2026
In one sentenceRule 33.11 requires a word-for-word, preserved record of every guilty or nolo contendere plea proceeding — a record that should capture the voluntariness inquiry under Rule 33.7, the warnings under Rule 33.8, the fact-checking inquiry under Rule 33.9, and, where relevant, the notice and withdrawal opportunity tied to a rejected plea agreement.
Full Text of Rule 33.11
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A verbatim record of the proceedings at which a defendant enters a plea of guilty or nolo contendere shall be made and preserved. The record should include:
(A) The inquiry into the voluntariness of the plea (as required in section 33.7);
(B) The advice to the defendant (as required in section 33.8);
(C) The inquiry into the accuracy of the plea (as required in section 33.9), and, if applicable;
(D) The notice to the defendant that the trial court intends to reject the plea agreement and the defendant’s right to withdraw the guilty plea before sentence is pronounced. [In State Court, see State Court Rule 33.11.]
Plain-English Summary
Rule 33.11 turns the earlier plea-related rules into a documentation requirement. Whenever a defendant enters a guilty or nolo contendere plea, the court has to make a word-for-word record of the proceeding and keep it.
The rule ties that record to the specific steps the earlier rules require: the inquiry into whether the plea was voluntary, the warnings telling the defendant what rights are being given up and what sentence exposure is involved, and the inquiry confirming the facts support the plea. Where relevant, the record should also capture the court’s notice that it plans to turn down a plea agreement, along with the resulting chance for the defendant to pull the plea back ahead of sentencing.
Without a word-for-word record, the other safeguards carry little weight — there would be no way to confirm later that the voluntariness inquiry happened, that the defendant heard the required warnings, or that the facts were checked. This rule makes sure that proof exists.
Frequently Asked Questions
Must a record of a guilty plea proceeding be word-for-word?
Yes. Rule 33.11 requires the court to make and keep a complete, verbatim record of the proceeding where a defendant enters a guilty or nolo contendere plea.
What should the required record include?
Four things: the voluntariness inquiry from section 33.7, the warnings from section 33.8, the fact-checking inquiry from section 33.9, and, where relevant, the notice that the court plans to turn down the plea agreement along with the defendant’s chance to withdraw.
Does the record need to capture the warnings about rights given up?
Yes, the warnings called for under section 33.8.
Is the fact-checking inquiry part of the required record?
Yes, the inquiry called for under section 33.9.
What must the record show if the court rejects a plea agreement?
That the defendant was told the court plans to turn down the plea agreement and that the defendant could take the guilty plea back ahead of sentencing.
Source & verification. Rule text and amendment history are
reproduced verbatim from the Uniform Superior Court Rules, published by the
Council of Superior Court Judges of Georgia. Last verified July 17, 2026.
· Official source
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