Rule 3.971 - Pleas of Admission or No Contest(A) General. A respondent may make a plea of admission or of no contest to the original allegations in the petition. The court has discretion to allow a respondent to enter a plea of admission or a plea of no contest to an amended petition. The plea may be taken at any time after the authorization of the petition, provided that the petitioner and the attorney for the child have been notified of a plea offer to an amended petition and have been given the opportunity to object before the plea is accepted.(B) Advice of Rights and Possible Disposition. Before accepting a plea of admission or plea of no contest, the court must advise the respondent on the record or in a writing that is made a part of the file:(1) of the allegations in the petition;(2) of the right to an attorney, if respondent is without an attorney;(3) that, if the court accepts the plea, the respondent will give up the rights to(a) trial by a judge or trial by a jury,(b) have the petitioner prove the allegations in the petition by a preponderance of the evidence,(c) have witnesses against the respondent appear and testify under oath at the trial,(d) cross-examine witnesses, and(e) have the court subpoena any witnesses the respondent believes could give testimony in the respondent's favor;(4) of the consequences of the plea, including that the plea can later be used as evidence in a proceeding to terminate parental rights if the respondent is a parent.(5) if parental rights are subsequently terminated, the obligation to support the child will continue until a court of competent jurisdiction modifies or terminates the obligation, an order of adoption is entered, or the child is emancipated by operation of law. Failure to provide required notice under this subsection does not affect the obligation imposed by law or otherwise establish a remedy or cause of action on behalf of the parent;(6) that appellate review is available to challenge any errors in the adjudicatory process, which may be challenged in an appeal from the court's initial order of disposition;(7) that an indigent respondent is entitled to appointment of an attorney to represent the respondent on any appeal as of right and to preparation of transcripts; and(8) the respondent may be barred from challenging the assumption of jurisdiction in an appeal from an order terminating parental rights if they do not timely file an appeal of the initial dispositional order under MCR 7.204 or a delayed appeal under MCR 3.993(C).(C) Appellate Review. The respondent may challenge the assumption of jurisdiction in an appeal from the order terminating respondent's parental rights if the court fails to properly advise the respondent of their right to appeal pursuant to subrule (B)(6)-(8).(D) Voluntary, Accurate Plea.(1) Voluntary Plea. The court shall not accept a plea of admission or of no contest without satisfying itself that the plea is knowingly, understandingly, and voluntarily made.(2) Accurate Plea. The court shall not accept a plea of admission or of no contest without establishing support for a finding that one or more of the statutory grounds alleged in the petition are true, preferably by questioning the respondent unless the offer is to plead no contest. If the plea is no contest, the court shall not question the respondent, but, by some other means, shall obtain support for a finding that one or more of the statutory grounds alleged in the petition are true. The court shall state why a plea of no contest is appropriate.Amended March 28, 2018, effective 5/1/2018; amended June 12, 2019, effective 6/12/2019; amended September 18, 2019, effective 1/1/2020; amended March 19, 2020, effective 3/19/2020; amended September 23, 2020, effective 1/1/2021.