Los Angeles Burglary Lawyer

The arraignment is your first formal court appearance after an arrest. During arraignment, you will be informed of your constitutional rights and the charges against you. You will also be given the opportunity to enter a plea, whether not guilty, guilty, or nolo contendere (no contest). Then the judge will set the terms of your bail. It is crucial to have an experienced Los Angeles burglary lawyer represent you during this initial phase. There is a lot of opportunity early on to gather information, identify problems in the prosecution’s case, and push for a favorable outcome.

The pretrial stage is when most discovery will take place. The parties will request documents from each other and conduct investigations to uncover evidence. The parties will both get the chance to submit motions and waivers. Generally, when a party asks the court to grant a motion or waiver, they are asking it to make a legal ruling regarding some aspect of the case. For example, a party may file a motion to suppress certain evidence from the case. This is also the stage when the prosecution will be asked to demonstrate probable cause that:

• The crime in question was committed.
• The defendant was the person who committed the crime.

During this pre-trial phase, your attorney will likely fight to have the charges against you dismissed or reduced. If a plea deal is the best option, your attorney will work to negotiate the best terms possible for you.

If a case is not resolved in the pre-trial phase, it moves on to trial. There are two kinds of criminal trials: jury trials and bench trials. During a jury trial, a select group of people from the defendant’s community will listen to oral arguments, hear witness testimony, and view other evidence before making a final determination of guilt. In a bench trial, the decision to convict or acquit rests entirely with the judge – there is no jury. During the trial, both sides will present evidence, testimony, and arguments. At the conclusion of the trial, you will hear the verdict.

If you are found guilty, the case will move to sentencing, where punishment is decided. Both the prosecution and the defense will be given the chance to petition the court for a harsher or a more lenient sentence. Your attorney might try to demonstrate the existence of mitigating circumstances and present evidence that you were otherwise a positive influence in your community. The prosecution may submit victim impact statements and other material suggesting a more severe sentence is required. Ultimately, you will be handed a sentence that may include prison time, fines, community service, and other punishments.