Select the correct step in Georgia's criminal justice system (hint: the steps are listed in order)
Pretrial
- There is enough evidence that someone has committed a crime serious enough to warrant being taken into custody (police detention).
- Law enforcement officers make an official arrest report and hold the suspect in the local jail.
- 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).
- 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.
- 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 what is called an indictment (a formal charge of a serious crime).
- Superior court judge reads charges and accused pleads guilty or not guilty
- The suspect has the opportunity to plead guilty. If they plead guilty to the charge, the judge will sentence the individual and the case does not go to trial. The suspect also has the choice of plea bargaining and admitting guilt to a lesser offense. If the prosecutor agrees to the plea bargain, the suspect is sentenced for the lesser offense and the case will also not go to trial.