Entry of not guilty plea for corporation failing to appear, etc.

If the defendant corporation fails to appear and plead to the indictment, the court must cause the plea of not guilty to be entered for it, and the trial shall proceed as if the corporation had appeared and pleaded not guilty; but, in such case, proof must be made to the court that the person upon whom the notice and copy of the indictment were served was an officer or agent of the corporation authorized by law to receive such service.

(Code 1896, §5318; Code 1907, §6626; Code 1923, §3729; Code 1940, T. 10, §201; §10-7-3; amended and renumbered by Act 2009-513, p. 967, §360.)