Being accused of a crime can be one of the most upsetting events in person’s entire life. Fear of jail is an obvious source of stress. The first thing you should understand is trying to handle your matter without an attorney is a mistake. The first action you should take is to contact criminal defense lawyer Phillip W. Goff.
Most people have been exposed to criminal law through movies and television. Predictably, fiction is a poor excuse for understanding legal matters. Celebrity judge programs like Judge Judy bear little resemblance to actual judges and court decorum, as well as distort reality.
News programs are somewhat more accurate, but news is more about telling a simplistic, sensationalistic, emotional story than about explaining what and how cases are handled.
Since not knowing what to expect is often torture, especially for someone who is not familiar with the system, the following links give a basic explanation of the process.*
Categories:
- Arrest/Detention
- Interrogation
- Bail
- Arraignment (the initial court date)
- Pretrial
- Trial
- Appeal (coming soon)
*All answers are for people 21 years or older, do not involve enhancements, are not exclusive, and are limited to Texas.