Whether you go straight to prison or jail after a conviction depends on your case. Sometimes, an officer may immediately put you in handcuffs in the courtroom. Other times, the court may release you until sentencing. Knowing when you will go to prison helps you prepare for when that time comes.
During the sentencing hearing, your criminal defense attorney will present arguments and information to the judge on your behalf. This could include recommending alternatives to jail, including probation, drug or alcohol counseling, or educational programs.
At a plea hearing, the defendant will sit in front of the judge in the courts with their defense attorney. The judge will then explain the criminal charges against the defendant and the potential sentences and penalties associated with the offense.
If you've already posted bail and the jail is already processing a high volume, you may have a longer wait time for their release. In most cases, the court system has multiple arrest cases at once, so it might take a few hours after posting bail.
Why you don't want to accept the plea bargain in your criminal case. Pleading guilty is the highest form of self-incrimination in America. You are telling the judge and the legal system that you did it, that you're guilty, and that you are accepting full responsibility for your criminal actions.
The purpose of reducing sentences when offenders plead guilty is to get them to admit their guilt as early as possible. When they do, it saves victims and witnesses the stress of going through a trial, such as having to relive their ordeal and being cross examined about it.
After pleading guilty, there is no need for a trial and the next stage is sentencing. Sometimes sentencing will take place immediately and sometimes the case will be adjourned (put back) for sentencing on a later occasion.
A felony charge can be pending for as long as the statute of limitations runs on the case. For example, if the felony has a statute of limitation of 5 years, that is the length of the pending charges. The minimum statute of limitations for felonies is three years.
All defendants are expected to have a court date within 30 days from the arraignment or the plea submitted, if you are currently in custody. If you are not currently in custody, then you can expect a court date within 45 days of the arraignment or plea.
The 1997 Rules of Civil Procedure provide that failure of the plaintiff to appear at pre-trial without a valid cause is a ground for dismissal of the action with prejudice unless otherwise ordered by the court; while a similar failure on the part of the defendant shall be cause to allow the plaintiff to present ...
You may also be 'bound over' to keep the peace, or if you admit guilt in the police station you could be given a caution, which will stay on your criminal record but will mean that you do not need to go to court. If you are in any doubt about whether you should plead guilty or not, you should seek legal advice.
The verdict
If you are a victim or witness in the case and have left the court before the trial has ended and would like to know the outcome of the case, you can contact the person who asked you to come to court. They will be able to give you the information on the sentence.
More time for the defendant to prepare their defense. More time for the defendant to spend time with friends and family before the possibility of going to jail. Opportunity to prove the defendant's innocence.
If you do not want to contest the charge or talk to an attorney, you can plead "guilty" or "no contest" at the arraignment and the judge will usually sentence you on the spot.
Defendants who plead guilty and who waive their right to a trial are normally entitled to a sentence reduction. All common law jurisdictions offer sentence reductions to defendants who forgo their right to trial and instead plead guilty.
– Discusses the three main areas of negotiations involving plea bargains:charge bargaining,sentence bargaining, and fact bargaining.
If the prosecution lacks evidence strong enough to secure a conviction, the prosecution may look to drag the case to give the police time to find even more evidence to support the case.
Prosecutors benefit from plea bargains because the deals allow them to improve their conviction rates. Some prosecutors also use plea bargains as a way to encourage defendants to testify against codefendants or other accused criminals.
Can you spend the whole day sleeping in prison? The answer to this is a straight no, regardless of the prison. Sleeping the whole day is not an option. To begin with, in between the day, there are count times which you should be present.
Prison is scarier than any ghost story. If you've never heard prison stories from the inside, prepare yourself to be inundated with cruelty and gore. These former inmates share their scary stories from prison – the true stories from the joint that still keep them up at night.
Courtroom Behavior
Behave in a calm, professional manner -- don't let your emotions get the best of you. When the judge speaks to you, look her in the eye and reply in a respectful tone. Stand up when addressing the court. Get to the point quickly when presenting your facts.