Articles Posted in Preliminary Hearing

This topic is of particular relevance given the publicity surrounding the indictment, arrest and detention of Sean “P. Diddy” Combs in the Southern District of New York this week. Both at the Magistrate-Judge at the initial hearing, and the District Court Judge hearing the appeal the following day, held that no conditions of release could…

Many federal, state, and municipal courts have limited the number and types of cases they will be handling in the near term. Some have adjourned jury trials for several weeks and in some cases even months to see what happens after a period of isolation. Courts have summarily waived Speedy Trial Act rights and ordered…

In the federal system, a person may be charged and arrested by way of a complaint or indictment. A complaint is a written statement of essential facts establishing the offense charged made under oath by the agent before a magistrate-judge. Based upon the complaint, an arrest warrant may be issued upon the establishment of probable…

The stages of a criminal case as it proceeds through the legal system can be confusing for individuals who find themselves on the wrong end of legal charges for the first time. Though popular media has no shortage of stories set within the criminal justice system, these fictional depictions often leave out important details. When…