What is Criminal Procedure?
Criminal procedure is the body of rules that govern how criminal cases are handled by the state. It differs from criminal law in that it refers only to the procedures used during an actual trial, while criminal law refers more generally to all laws related to crimes and punishments.
Criminal procedure encompasses many different areas, including arrest and search warrants; plea bargaining; bail hearings; jury selection; opening statements and closing arguments; witness testimony; evidence admissibility standards (e.g., hearsay); jury instructions (e.g., reasonable doubt); verdicts/verdict forms/sentencing recommendations from juries or judges–and much more!
Rights of Defendants
- The right to remain silent: A defendant has the right to not say anything at all. This is called “the right to remain silent.”
- The right of an attorney: If you are charged with a crime, you have the right to have an attorney present during questioning by police or other law enforcement officials. Your attorney will advise you about whether or not it is in your best interest to answer questions from law enforcement officials and can help protect your rights throughout this process.
- Right to speedy trial: If there’s one thing that everyone agrees on when it comes to criminal justice reform, it’s this: People who are accused of crimes should be tried as quickly as possible so that they don’t spend years waiting for their day in court while still being held behind bars (or under house arrest). That’s why federal law requires states like California and New York–which typically have long backlogs–to move cases through their courts quickly enough so that defendants aren’t stuck behind bars indefinitely without being convicted first (a practice known as pre-trial detention).
Criminal Procedure Procedures
Criminal Procedure Procedures
The investigation is the process by which a prosecutor gathers evidence to support a criminal charge. It begins with an arrest and ends when the prosecutor decides whether to file charges or dismiss them. In some cases, investigators may have already gathered enough evidence before bringing charges against you; in others, they’ll need to continue investigating after filing charges. If you’re arrested for a crime and then released from custody without being charged with anything else (known as “being released on your own recognizance”), then this means that your case has not yet been referred for prosecution by police or prosecutors.
In grand jury proceedings, federal prosecutors present evidence against defendants who are suspected of committing serious crimes such as murder or terrorism offenses; these proceedings are closed off from public view because they involve sensitive information about ongoing investigations into possible crimes–for example: how many people were involved? How did they plan their attack? What weapons did they use? Who were their targets? And so forth–and also because protecting witnesses’ identities is important if those witnesses fear retaliation from criminals who might learn where they live once their identities become known through media reports about criminal trials held later down the line when all parties involved have been charged with crimes committed during those earlier investigations conducted by law enforcement agencies throughout America’s various states (or territories).
