Preliminary Hearing

Please note that the content of this book primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online. Within some criminal justice systems, a preliminary hearing (evidentiary hearing) is a proceeding, after a criminal complaint has been filed by the prosecutor, to determine whether there is enough evidence to require a trial. In the United States, the judge must find there is probable cause that a crime was committed. At such a hearing, the defendant may be assisted by counsel; in many jurisdictions, there is a right to counsel at the preliminary hearing. Contrast this with some jurisdictions in the United States, where a person may be charged, instead, by seeking a "true bill of indictment" before a grand jury; where counsel is not always permitted.

Pagina's: 104, Paperback, Betascript Publishers