Criminal Defense Case

Preliminary Hearing in a Criminal Case

Shortly after an arrest, the prosecutor’s charges may face judicial review during the preliminary hearing.   Each state has its own rules regarding preliminary hearings, which may or may not require a preliminary...

Evidence in Criminal Trials

During criminal trials, evidence rules restrict both the content of evidence presented and the manner that evidence can be presented during a trial.   Evidence rules not only ensure the efficient and smooth...

Plea Bargains in Criminal Cases

The court system inundated with an overload of cases, jails are overcrowded past legal capacity, lengthy trials prove costly, and public defender resources are scarce.   With all these well-known factors...

Discovery Process in a Criminal Case

Discovery is the general process of a defendant obtaining information possessed by a prosecutor regarding the defendant’s case.   In addition, prosecutors may be allowed to obtain all information....

Arraignments in Criminal Cases

Criminal arraignments are a short hearing before a judge shortly following arrest.   The criminal arraignment formally begins the courtroom proceedings of a given criminal case against a suspect.   During...

Criminal Procedure and Motions during Criminal Trials

During judicial proceedings, both sides may make requests of the judge, known as “motions”.   Motions may be made verbally or in written form, which will request anything from a simple change in

The Process of Criminal Trials

Criminal trial procedures vary from courthouse to courthouse, and even more varied are the legal tactics employed during each phase of a criminal trial.   Defendants with a brief amount of knowledge...

The Plight of the Falsely Accused in Domestic Violence Cases

Each year, millions of women are physically abused by their partners. This is an epidemic that must be stopped. It is also true that while...

Five Myths About Arrests and Criminal Cases

I do not have statistics on what percentage of people charged with crimes are actually guilty. Based on my conversations with people and my...

Eyewitness Identification Practices in Criminal Prosecutions

Eyewitness identification, which is by no means consistently reliable, has been used as one of main means of prosecuting evidence against the accused for centuries.   Today, law enforcement and criminal prosecutors...

Sentencing the Guilty Defendant

Following a guilty or no contest plea, or a guilty verdict at trial, defendants will be sentenced, or receive their punishment, for their crimes.   If convicted at trial, the presiding judge will determine the sentence...