Stages of a Criminal Trail



Stages of a Criminal Trail

Introduction

The criminal trial is the most important stage of criminal prosecution. Here, we pass through the various stages of a criminal trial, question to clarify this legal process.

Purposes

Criminal Trial has three main purposes:

Proof of the existence of the crime 

Proof of the guilt of the offender, and, 

The penalty for the offense committed, security measures and payment of the damage caused to the victim.

The arrest

This is the arrest that begins the entire judicial process. That's when we decide whether the accused will appear detained or released.

The appearance

The appearance is the first step of the judicial process. That's when he appeared a person suspected of having committed a crime or crimes is presented for the first time before a judge. It is then formally charged with these crimes, pleads guilty or not guilty to each charge and chooses the mode of trial.

The bail hearing

It is also called survey released on bail, this step determines whether a person arrested may be released conditionally released pending his trial or if it should remain detained.

Proof of the Crown

This step is also called "disclosure", since it is at this point that the Crown must disclose to the accused the evidence it has amassed against him. It is often at this stage that negotiations between lawyers engage to a regulation of the file (Israel, 2003). The Crown prosecutor must present the court with proof that he has to convince the jury beyond a reasonable doubt that the accused is guilty.

Interrogation

Since it is the Crown prosecutor who has the burden of proving that the accused is guilty, he is presenting its evidence first. Generally, he uses stories to present evidence. Sometimes other evidence, like photos or documents, are presented at the hearing. Since it is the Crown prosecutor who begins, the accused could hear everything that the Crown witnesses have to say before submitting his own story (his defense). However, it is not obliged to present a defense. His defense may be limited to cons-examine Crown witnesses. It is therefore logical that this is the crown begins. The Crown prosecutor calls his witnesses to the stand one by one for questioning. The defense counsel or the Crown prosecutor can ask the judge to remove all witnesses to the courtroom so that they do not hear the other testimony and be influenced by the statements of another. It goes ...