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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.

Rule 8 says that the defendant can plead guilty; or no plea shall be entered. But, the defendant should not plead guilty unless under a favorable plea agreement. A not-guilty plea is unnecessary because of the presumption of innocence.

The only plea a defendant may enter at the Rule 8 hearing is a guilty plea. If the defendant pleads guilty, the pre-sentencing and sentencing procedures in these rules must be followed. If the defendant does not wish to plead guilty, the arraignment must be continued until the Omnibus Hearing.

Pursuant to Minnesota Rules of Criminal Procedure (20.01 and 20.02), Rule 20 evaluations occur in criminal cases when there is a belief that a defendant may not be competent to proceed with the case or was not responsible at the time of the alleged offense because of mental illness or developmental disability.

Rule 9, with Rules 7.01, 19.04, subd. 6, and 18.04, subds. 1and 2 (recorded testimony of grand jury witnesses), provide a comprehensive method of discovery of the prosecution (Rule 9.01) and defense (Rule 9.02) cases. The rules are intended to give the parties complete discovery subject to constitutional limitations.

6 is intended merely to stress that issuing a citation in lieu of a custodial arrest or continued detention does not affect a law enforcement officer's statutory right to transport a person in need of care to an appropriate medical facility.