What Happens When You Are Charged with a Crime
Being charged with a crime can make you panic now that you don’t know what will happen at the end. However, it’s important to know what to expect when dealing with criminal charges so that you will have an easy time handling the case. Besides understanding the procedures you also need to understand the current laws that are going to be applied in your case. If you want to know these procedures and also your rights when you are charged with crime continue reading this article.

Being charged and booking of your arrest is the first things that you will come across. You might be arrested immediately or later since it depends with the reason for being charged. The officers should look for you so that you can be jailed following the judge issue of warranty for you to be arrested. During your arrest the officers may not serve you with an arrest warrant but you should make sure you have it from the court so that you will know the mistakes you are charged with. From being arrested you will be directed to a jail or local police department so that your fingerprints and mugshot can be taken. The next procedure involves a magistrate who is going to give you a bond or allow you to go fir until your next court hearing. When the magistrate allows you to go home on bond then there is no way you will go home if you haven’t paid the bond. For those that are charged with complicates cases will have no bond hence they will not be able to go anywhere until their case hearing date.

The second stage of your arrest is the court hearing after being charged with the crime. When your court hearing is mentioned you should expect the judge to read your charges and you should defend yourself. Once your case is read the possible responses that you can have include being guilty, not guilty or no content. However, it’s good to involve a criminal lawyer who will advise you and explain to you the possible steps that the judge will take for either of your responses. If you didn’t commit the crime and you can prove it before the judge then you should plead not guilty and if it proved that you are not guilty then you will be charged less or nothing.

When you are proven guilty then you have the next stage which is sentencing. Before the judge mentions about your sentence, s/he will have to investigate on your criminal records. You will be given a light sentence if you have clean records with the court.

Supporting reference: our website