An indictment is a process when a person is charged with a criminal offense. The indictment process is defined as the complete procedure of prosecuting a person suspected of a criminal offense in front of a jury. Generally, it is essential to present a suspect for grand jury indictment across different states before charging him with any criminal offense.
In certain cases, a prosecutor may have an option to file a complaint in front of the judge instead of presenting it before the grand jury. When a person is indicted on charges relating to capital crimes such as murder and rape, the case is generally presented with a petit jury. Here’s the complete guide to different stages of the indictment process.
Indictment By a Grand Jury
The first stage in the process and an official finding by a grand jury is probable cause to believe that a crime has been committed. Once this is done, it’s up to the prosecutor to pursue charges or not at whatever point during the process or after everyone is done talking about it. If you wonder what happens during an indictment, you should look forward to getting help from expert defense lawyers.
Appeal for Grand Jury
A person seeks an appeal at this stage when they are convicted based on having been given the representation that their rights were being violated during the trial. The appeals court will examine whether a case was presented to the grand jury in good faith and adequately retried. The Court will also determine whether a procedural error was made and any constitutional violations in an appeal of a conviction.
Post-Conviction
This stage is generally performed by experts who investigate any issues with the original trial process, i.e., if the defendant was denied a fair trial, that might have resulted in a different outcome. The experts may even perform their investigation and present their findings in Court to help the defendant prove his innocence.
How Can Criminal Defense Lawyers Help You in Indictment?
Criminal defense attorneys are there who assist you in getting you out of any trouble and show you the right path. Thus, you can also contact a lawyer if you face charges of murder, theft, etc. It is the responsibility of defense lawyers to ensure that their client’s rights are not being violated when they represent them in Court. Therefore, if the client is charged with a crime, they will always have an option to consult a lawyer at any stage of proceedings.
These defense lawyers are trained to ensure that they do not violate their rights, even if it means going against the law. The essential role of criminal defense lawyers is to help you fight your case in front of a jury. They have the expertise to help you get acquitted of the charges.
In short, it can be said that once backed by a criminal defense lawyer. They will guide you in defense to defend your rights and provide you with legal counseling. You can easily win any trial and stay safe from any charges in the future.