Which stage typically occurs after the arrest/bond hearing?

Which stage typically occurs after the arrest/bond hearing?

• A. Arraignment
• B. Preliminary hearing
• C. Grand jury
• D. Pre-trial hearings and plea hearings

Answer: (B)

The main idea here is that a preliminary hearing acts as a gatekeeper to see if there is enough proof to justify moving the case forward. After someone is arrested and a bond is set, the court uses the preliminary hearing to require the prosecution to show probable cause—that the person likely committed the crime and that there is enough evidence to proceed to trial. The defense can hear the evidence and may challenge it, including cross-examining witnesses. If the judge finds probable cause, the case moves on to the next stage toward trial; if not, charges can be dismissed or reduced. Arraignment, by contrast, is the formal reading of the charges and the defendant’s entry of a plea. A grand jury is used in some jurisdictions instead of a preliminary hearing to decide probable cause. Pre-trial and plea hearings occur after the case has moved beyond the preliminary stage and involve motions, discovery, and plea negotiations.

The main idea here is that a preliminary hearing acts as a gatekeeper to see if there is enough proof to justify moving the case forward. After someone is arrested and a bond is set, the court uses the preliminary hearing to require the prosecution to show probable cause—that the person likely committed the crime and that there is enough evidence to proceed to trial. The defense can hear the evidence and may challenge it, including cross-examining witnesses. If the judge finds probable cause, the case moves on to the next stage toward trial; if not, charges can be dismissed or reduced.

Arraignment, by contrast, is the formal reading of the charges and the defendant’s entry of a plea. A grand jury is used in some jurisdictions instead of a preliminary hearing to decide probable cause. Pre-trial and plea hearings occur after the case has moved beyond the preliminary stage and involve motions, discovery, and plea negotiations.