Booking, Preliminary Hearing, Arraignment, Initial Appearance, Grand Jury Indictment,
Arrest, Plea Bargaining
- There is enough evidence that someone has committed a crime serious enough to warrant being taken into custody (police detention).
The next step in the criminal justice process would be the booking of the individual, where their personal information and details of the alleged crime are recorded.
Following booking, the individual may have a preliminary hearing where a judge determines if there is enough evidence to proceed with a trial. If there is sufficient evidence, the individual will then have an arraignment where they are formally charged with the crime and are required to enter a plea of guilty or not guilty.
If the individual pleads not guilty, they may have an initial appearance where bail is set and further court dates are scheduled. In some cases, a grand jury may also indict the individual based on the evidence presented by the prosecution.
Throughout this process, the individual may have the option to engage in plea bargaining with the prosecution, where they agree to plead guilty to a lesser charge in exchange for a reduced sentence.
Overall, this progression of events illustrates the procedural steps that typically occur after someone has been arrested for a crime.