What is criminal procedure?
Criminal procedure involves a set of rules through which a government enforces criminal laws. In the United States, the federal government, states, and municipalities each have respective criminal codes regarding what does and does not constitute a crime. The overall criminal procedure process includes booking, arraignment, bail, a preliminary hearing, a trial, sentencing, punishment, and appeal. When it has been determined that crimes have been committed, an arrest is made. The accused person begins the criminal procedure by undergoing the booking process. During this process, administrative information is gathered from him or her. This information, which is used for legal purposes, typically documents the crime that the person is charged with. Other information is also usually collected, such as the telephone number, fingerprints, name, age, and address of the accused.
