Do you know what is being done in your community to protect the citizens from crime? Do you have a crime-watch program? Is there a community website that lists the current investigations and events that may have recently occurred? Law enforcement officials can only do so much when it comes to protecting a community. If your community is not active in protecting itself, crime rates could rise and many residents could find themselves the target or victim of crimes. Visit my blog to find out what you can do as a community to lower crime rates and help the law enforcement officials do their jobs.
Being arrested and charged with a serious offense can be extremely stressful. For defendants that opt for a jury trial, the wait can begin to seem maddening. Preparation for a trial, regardless of the charges, can involve reams of paperwork and months of slow legal maneuvers. If you are waiting around for your trial to begin, it might be helpful to understand what your criminal defense lawyer is up to during the pretrial period.
Discovery Takes Time
Discovery is the name for this phase leading up the beginning of the trial. Discovery usually begins soon after your trial date is set and continues until jury selection begins. Discovery is not an optional procedure, but you might not realize its importance until after the trial begins. This practice helps your lawyer and the lawyers for the state prepare for the trial by exchanging important evidence. Television dramas that produce last-minute witnesses and evidence that change the course of the trial don't happen that often in real life, and discovery is supposed to prevent those types of surprises. Instead, witness information and an idea of the evidence to expect by both sides allow each side to be ready to defend and question the facts of the case before it's presented to the judge and jury.
How Discovery Works
The reason discovery can take so long is that each side is requesting information from each other all at the same time. In most cases, each side has a limited but generous amount of time to respond to the requests. Most of the time, discovery will involve these actions:
And more.
How Discovery Benefits You
Once the trial has begun, it is surely shortened a great deal because of discovery practices. However, the main benefit of discovery is that it presents the state with a trove of evidence that they will face once the trial begins. It works both ways, of course, which means that your lawyer will now know what you are up against once things get underway. This often means a plea deal could come about and end the need for a trial completely. If you do get a plea deal, discuss things with your lawyer before you make a move. To find out more, speak to your criminal defense law attorney.
Share13 May 2022
