Early Stages of a Criminal Case
In many ways, an arrest is just beginning of the legal process. There are other procedures that determine not only whether there will be a conviction, but whether the case will even get to the plea-bargain or trial stage. Look here for information on those procedures, and on general information that can help you handle criminal court.
Preliminary hearings, often referred to as "prelims," require the prosecutor to show enough credible evidence to a judge to convince that judge to send the case on to trial.
The preliminary hearing tests the prosecutor's decision to bring the case and serves to protect individuals from unfounded criminal charges.
People who have been arrested—particularly those who haven’t bailed out of jail or been released on their own recognizance—want to know when they’ll get in front of a judge for their arraignment.
At some point in the early stages of criminal proceedings, whether at the first court appearance or a later arraignment, judges ask defendants how they choose to plead.
A criminal case usually gets started with a police arrest report. The prosecutor then decides what criminal charges to file, if any.
Learn how to handle criminal charges if you are innocent. Get insights into legal strategies and defenses and how to protect your rights.
The grand jury process is prosecutor-friendly in that grand jurors see and hear only what prosecutors put before them.
Just about everything that happens in a courtroom can seem confusing to someone who hasn’t experienced the justice system firsthand. Even the courtroom itself can be confounding.
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