Art. 27.18.  PLEA OR WAIVER OF RIGHTS BY VIDEOCONFERENCE.  (a)  Notwithstanding any provision of this code requiring that a plea or a waiver of a defendant's right be made in open court, a court may accept the plea or waiver by videoconference to the court if:
(1)  the defendant and the attorney representing the state file with the court written consent to the use of videoconference;
(2)  the videoconference provides for a simultaneous, compressed full motion video, and interactive communication of image and sound between the judge, the attorney representing the state, the defendant, and the defendant's attorney; and
(3)  on request of the defendant, the defendant and the defendant's attorney are able to communicate privately without being recorded or heard by the judge or the attorney representing the state.
(b)  On motion of the defendant or the attorney representing the state or in the court's discretion, the court may terminate an appearance by videoconference at any time during the appearance and require an appearance by the defendant in open court.
(c)  A record of the communication shall be made by a court reporter or by electronic recording and preserved by the court reporter or by electronic recording until all appellate proceedings have been disposed of.  A court reporter or court recorder is not required to transcribe or make a duplicate electronic recording of a plea taken under this article unless an appeal is taken in the case and a party requests a transcript.
(c-1)  The defendant may obtain a copy of the record, including any electronic recording, on payment of a reasonable amount to cover the costs of reproduction or, if the defendant is indigent, the court shall provide a copy to the defendant without charging a cost for the copy.
(c-2)  The loss or destruction of or failure to create a court record or an electronic recording of a plea entered under this article is not alone sufficient grounds for a defendant to withdraw the defendant's plea or to request the court to set aside a conviction, sentence, or plea.
(d)  A defendant who is confined in a county other than the county in which charges against the defendant are pending may use the videoconference method provided by this article or by Article 15.17 to enter a plea or waive a right in the court with jurisdiction over the case.
(e)  A defendant who enters a plea or waiver under Subsection (d):
(1)  consents to venue in the county in which the court receiving the plea or waiver is located; and
(2)  waives any claim of error related to venue.
(f)  Subsection (e) does not prohibit a court from granting a defendant's motion for a change of venue during the trial of the defendant.
(g)  If a defendant enters a plea of guilty or nolo contendere under Subsection (d), the attorney representing the state may request at the time the plea is entered that the defendant submit a fingerprint of the defendant suitable for attachment to the judgment.  On request for a fingerprint under this subsection, the county in which the defendant is confined shall obtain a fingerprint of the defendant and use first-class mail or other means acceptable to the attorney representing the state and the county to forward the fingerprint to the court accepting the plea.
Added by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 1014, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1997.
Amended by: 
Acts 2005, 79th Leg., Ch. 1094 (H.B. 2120), Sec. 6, eff. September 1, 2005.
Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., R.S., Ch. 1031 (H.B. 2847), Sec. 5, eff. September 1, 2011.
Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., R.S., Ch. 1341 (S.B. 1233), Sec. 6, eff. June 17, 2011.
Acts 2017, 85th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1064 (H.B. 3165), Sec. 5, eff. September 1, 2017.
Acts 2017, 85th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1064 (H.B. 3165), Sec. 6, eff. September 1, 2017.
Acts 2017, 85th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1064 (H.B. 3165), Sec. 7, eff. September 1, 2017.
Acts 2017, 85th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1064 (H.B. 3165), Sec. 8, eff. September 1, 2017.
Acts 2017, 85th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1064 (H.B. 3165), Sec. 9, eff. September 1, 2017.
Acts 2017, 85th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1064 (H.B. 3165), Sec. 10, eff. September 1, 2017.