Stages of a Criminal Trial Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Stages of a Criminal Trial - Essay Example Depending on the severity of the crime, after the booking procedure the defendant is either held in custody or released before trial. During the O.J. Simpson criminal proceedings there was a period before Simpson’s initial arrest, as the case’s high media profile resulted in increased legal scrutiny. Eventually Simpson was allowed to turn himself in, before which he started a bronco chase throughout Los Angeles. The O.J. Simpson trial was a serious case and resulted in grand jury proceedings. The grand jury is a special collection of jury members that meet and decide whether the government should issue a grand jury indictment. In the O.J. Simpson trial the grand jury met and decided to issue an indictment against O.J. Simpson for double murder. The next stage of the criminal trial is the arraignment proceedings. During the arraignment proceedings the defendant pleads guilty, not guilty, or no contest ("Criminal law stages," 2011). At O.J. Simpson’s arraignment proceeding he pleaded not guilty. During the arraignment proceedings the court also sets bail. Bail allows the defendant to go free before the criminal proceedings in exchange for a cash deposit. During the O.J. Simpson trail bail was denied by the court system because of the severity of the crime. Notably, many criminal cases are resolved during the arraignment proceedings, as the criminal defendant reaches a plea arrangement with the prosecution. Following the arraignment proceedings, are the pre-trial motions. The pre-trial motions occur without jury observation and function to establish what evidence and testimony will be admissible during the trial ("Criminal law stages," 2011). During the O.J. Simpson pre-trial hearings, in addition to issues of admissib ility, the trial was moved from Santa Monica to Downtown Los Angeles. Following these stages, the criminal proceedings move to the main trial stage. This stage is the heart of the criminal case and involves