What is the Court Process for a criminal case in Orange County, California? What is an arraignment? What is a Pretrial? What is a preliminary hearing? How does the criminal court process work? The criminal court process can be very confusing to someone not accustomed to the judicial system or process. Most criminal cases are not resolved in one day or in one court appearance. In fact, it is generally not a good idea to attempt to rush the criminal court process. The criminal court process in California follows general due process of law procedures. The first appearance will generally be an arraignment or a bail hearing. The next criminal court appearance(s) may depend on if the matter is felony or a misdemeanor.

What is an Arraignment? An arraignment is the criminal procedure where the state charges a defendant with violating a certain criminal law or statute. At the arraignment the defendant charged with violating a criminal offense enters a plea. The plea entered is in the form of a guilty plea, not guilty plea, or a no contest (nolo contendere) plea.

What is a PreTrial Hearing?: A pretrial hearing is a court proceeding held prior to trial in a criminal court matter. Issues of due process, law, pretrial motions (such as a motion to supress evidence) are filed, the parties (the Defendant and the state) position their respective cases for trial and discovery often are addressed at the pretrial stage of a criminal court proceeding.

What is a Preliminary Hearing? A preliminary hearing in the criminal court process is a hearing (in felony matters) in which the court determines if there is sufficient evidence for the matter to proceed forward to trial. If the prosecution satisfies its burden of proof, then the defendant is bound over for trial in the criminal court proceeding. If the prosecution fails to satisfy its burden of proof, the complaint is dismissed and the defendant is discharged from the court proceeding.

What is a Criminal trial? The criminal trial is your day in court so to speak. Almost everyone understands what is a court trial. We have all seen them on TV shows and in movies. However, few understand the amount of work and preparation involved in the criminal trial process, or how the law is applied, or how the rules of evidence apply. Moreover, most people do not understand their legal rights at and before the criminal trial. This is extermely important if you are the criminal defendant in a criminal case in California. As in all criminal cases, in a criminal trial, the burden of proof is on the state to prove the case that the defendant commited the criminal offense alleged in the criminal complaint.

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Our criminal defense attorney practices criminal defense law and DUI defense law in Los Angeles and Orange County, California. If you require the help of a criminal defense lawyer for a criminal charge such as a DUI in Southern California, please feel free to contact a criminal lawyer in our Orange County office for further help. Our Orange County criminal attorney will fight for your rights.

Our Southern California criminal attorney serves greater Los Angeles and Orange County in communities such as Long Beach, Newport Beach, Santa Ana, Irvine, Fullerton, Westminster, Costa Mesa, Huntington Beach, and Laguna Beach and routinely appears in the local courts such as the Orange County Central Courthouse (Santa Ana Court), Newport Beach Courthouse (Harbor Justice Center), Westminster Courthouse, Fullerton Courthouse, Los Angeles Courts, North County San Diego Courthouse (Vista Court), Riverside Courts, and Long Beach Courthouse. Contact an Orange County criminal attorney in our Newport Beach office for further help with your Southern California criminal law charges.