{"jurisdiction": "us-ny", "code": "cpl", "section": "600.20", "citation": "CPL § 600.20", "heading": "Corporate defendants; prosecution thereof", "text": ["§ 600.20  Corporate defendants; prosecution thereof.", "At all stages of a criminal action, from the commencement thereof through sentence, a corporate defendant must appear by counsel.  Upon failure of appearance at the time such defendant is required to enter a plea to the accusatory instrument, the court may enter a plea of guilty and impose sentence."], "official_source": "https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/CPL/600.20", "from_official_api": true, "plain_english": "A **corporate defendant must appear through a lawyer at every stage**, from commencement through sentence. If the corporation does not appear when required to plead, the court may **enter a guilty plea and impose sentence**. ★", "in_force_on": "2026-05-31", "retrieved": "2026-09-27", "url": "https://elyphived.com/us-ny/cpl/600.20", "publisher": "Elyphived LLC"}