1. There is enough evidence that someone has committed a crime serious enough to warrant being taken into custody (police detention).
2.
Law enforcement officers make an official arrest report and hold the suspect in the local jail.
. 3
The suspect (a person thought to be guilty of a crime) appears before a magistrate court judge to have the charges brought against them explained and to determine if they are to be released on bail (the temporary release of a prisoner in exchange for security given for the prisoner's appearance at a later hearing).
4.
-The magistrate judge determines if there was a crime committed and if there is probable cause (a reasonable ground for supposing that a charge is well-founded) that the suspect was involved with the crime.
5.
-A group of citizens, called a grand jury, examines the evidence in order to determine if the suspect should be charged with a crime. If they do decide there is enough evidence, they issue
an indictment (a formal charge or accusation of a serious crime) against the suspect.
6. The suspect then appears in front of a trial court judge for an arraignment, where they enter a plea of guilty or not guilty to the charges brought against them.
7. If the suspect pleads not guilty, a trial date is set and both the prosecution and defense present their evidence and arguments in court.
8. The trial court judge or jury then determines if the suspect is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, based on the evidence presented.
9. If the suspect is found guilty, they are sentenced by the judge to a punishment that may include fines, probation, or imprisonment.
10. The suspect has the right to appeal the verdict to a higher court if they believe there were errors made during the trial process.