(1) Except as provided in subsection (2) of this section, a plea of guilty or no contest to a crime punishable as a felony shall in all cases be put in by the defendant in person in open court unless upon an accusatory instrument against a corporation, in which case it may be put in by counsel.(2) Any circuit judge may, within any county in the own district of the judge other than the county where the accusation is pending, accept pleas of guilty or no contest from persons charged with a crime punishable as a felony and pass sentence thereon upon written request of the accused and the attorney of the accused and upon not less than one day’s notice to the district attorney. Judgments based upon such pleas and sentences entered upon the pleas are as effective as though heard and determined in open court in the county where the accusation is pending. Judges accepting the pleas shall transmit the pleas to the clerk of the court in the county where the accusation is pending, whereupon the clerk shall file and enter the pleas to become effective from the date of filing.(3) A judge may accept a plea of guilty or no contest under subsection (1) of this section by simultaneous electronic transmission, as defined in ORS 131.045, without the agreement of the state or the defendant if the plea is entered at arraignment and the type of simultaneous electronic transmission available allows the defendant to observe the court and the court to observe the defendant.
