What is a Criminal Court Case?
In the case of a serious criminal offence, the suspected offender is arrested and taken by the police to a police station. The charge is explained and the formal written charge is made. Generally the arrested person is released on bail, which is an agreement (with a monetary guarantee) to attend court on a specified day. For the most serious offences, like murder, the arrested person is kept in custody. For less serious offences, action is started by a summons rather than an arrest. The suspected offender receives a document requiring their attendance at court on a specified day. On the day that the charged person attends before the court, they are required to plead guilty or not guilty. If the person needs legal help before being able to plead, the case will be adjourned to another date. If the charged person pleads guilty, the court will deal with the matter and if the plea is not guilty, the matter is adjourned to a trial date and preparations begin for the conduct of the trial. Cri
