A criminal case is a legal proceeding involving an accused person who has been charged with committing a crime. Depending on the type of crime, the accused person may be facing fines or imprisonment.
The process begins when a complaint or citation is filed with the court by the police. The police then conduct an investigation and take statements from witnesses. If they believe that probable cause exists to arrest or cite the defendant, they forward the case package to the Prosecutor for review.
If the Prosecutor decides to charge the defendant, they will file a document called an “information” in court. Depending on the nature of the charges they can be either a misdemeanor or felony. The accused will be arraigned on the information in open court where they are asked to plead guilty or not guilty.
At this point it is important to remember that the prosecution has a burden of proof and must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant committed the crime. This means that it is up to the prosecution to present evidence and witness testimony and to rebut arguments and evidence presented by the defense.
The jury then deliberates privately and determines whether the defendant is guilty of the offense(s). The judge is responsible for formally sentencing the defendant at a later hearing. The prosecutor and defense attorney will then deliver closing arguments or summations to the jury.