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California's Criminal Court Process Explained

By Neil Shous, Esq.

Being arrested and thrust into California?s criminal court process can be one of the most frightening experiences of your life. Understanding how it works may help ease some of those fears. Your first formal court appearance is the arraignment, which is where you enter a guilty, no contest, or not guilty plea. If you plead guilty or no contest, you proceed to sentencing, where the judge hands down your sentence. If you plead not guilty, you move into the pre-trial process. The pre-trial process is where most California criminal cases resolve. Your attorney will argue motions, engage in plea-bargaining, and conduct an independent investigation of the charges, all in an effort to help you favorably settle your case. If the case settles, you move onto sentencing...continue to full post

Full post as published by California Criminal Defense Blog on September 09, 2010 (boomark / email).