WHEN THE CASE GOES TO COURT...
The case will be reviewed by a District Court Judge. First, the
Judge will make sure the defendant has an attorney.
Then the judge will set a date for a Preliminary
Hearing. You may receive a supoena for this hearing.
(It is VERY important that you notify us if
you change your address. Your supoena will go to
the address we have on file).
The PRELIMINARY HEARING may be your first appearence in
court. The defendant will be present for this hearing.
This is sometimes an intimidating experience. Please
contact the Victim-Witness Assistance Office if you
are experiencing any apprehension about coming to
court. The purpose of the PRELIMINARY HEARING is
to present evidence to a District Court Judge that
a crime has been committed and the defendant is "probably" the
one that committed the crime. This is known as "PROBABLE
CAUSE" If a hearing is held, it may be necessary
for you to testify. If the District Court Judge finds
probable cause, the case will go to the Grand Jury.
The GRAND JURY is made up of eighteen citizens of Jefferson
County. They hear the same evidence that was presented
at the Preliminary Hearing. Essentially, they must
determine PROBABLE CAUSE. You may have to
testify before the Grand Jury if you are the victim
or you witnessed the crime. The defendant will not
be present for the Grand Jury hearing.
If the Grand Jury finds PROBABLE CAUSE, an indictment is
issued listing the official charges for which the
defendant is to be tried. The case then goes to the CIRCUIT
COURT where criminal cases are tried before juries.
Sometimes the defendant will plead guilty to the crime and not
go before a jury. However, if the case goes to trial,
you will be required to testify.
Care is taken with each case to help you understand what is going
to take place. If you have any questions, you should
contact the Deputy District Attorney assigned to
your case or the Victim - Witness Assistance Office.
Frequently Asked Questions |
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