Art. 557.  Plea of guilty in capital cases

A.  A court shall not receive an unqualified plea of guilty in a capital case.  However, with the consent of the court and the state, a defendant may plead guilty with the stipulation either that the court shall impose a sentence of life imprisonment without benefit of probation, parole, or suspension of sentence without conducting a sentencing hearing, or that the court shall impanel a jury for the purpose of conducting a hearing to determine the issue of penalty in accordance with the applicable provisions of this Code.

B.  If a defendant makes an unqualified plea, the court shall order a plea of not guilty entered for him.

Amended by Acts 1973, No. 134, §1; Acts 1995, No. 434, §1.