Facing criminal charges is one of the most stressful things you can go through. Your reputation, freedom and future are all on the line. But there are steps you can take to increase your chances of a favorable outcome.
The first step is a hearing called an arraignment. The judge will read the charges against you and you’ll be asked to enter a plea. You can plead guilty, not guilty or no contest. Pleading no contest means you won’t admit to the crime, but will agree to be found guilty by the jury. Guilty means you will admit to the crime and be sentenced by the judge. Not guilty means you will deny the charge and you’ll be acquitted.
After the arraignment the prosecutor and defendant will have a pretrial conference or pre-exam conference where they might be able to settle the case. If not, the case will move to trial. At the trial the prosecutor has to prove you committed the crime beyond a reasonable doubt. The defense lawyer will challenge the prosecution’s evidence and witnesses. He or she might also call expert witness testimony. For example, an expert might testify about the reliability of DNA or fingerprint analysis or point out prosecution accounting gaps in financial cases. He or she might also testify about drugs and their effects or a health professional could talk about a client’s mental state at the time of the crime to argue diminished capacity or intent.