In most cases, a person arrested in Jefferson County will be given the opportunity to make bond and be released from custody pending the final disposition of the case. Some of the conditions of bond are that the defendant must refrain from any criminal activity while on bond and must be present in court whenever the case is set on the court docket. If a defendant is unable to make a bond, he or she will remain in custody until the case has been concluded.

The case will first be reviewed by a DISTRICT COURT Judge, who will confirm that the defendant has an attorney. A defendant may also plead guilty at the District Court level, but if not, a Preliminary Hearing date will be set. You may be required to attend this hearing and, if so, you will receive a subpoena. (It is VERY important that you notify us if your address changes while the case is pending because the subpoena will go to the address we have on file for you).

If you are subpoenaed for the PRELIMINARY HEARING, it will most likely be your first court appearance in the case. The defendant will also be present for the hearing so it can sometimes be an intimidating experience for a victim or witness. Bear in mind that if you are experiencing any apprehension about coming to court, our Victim Assistance Office is available to help you through the process, so please do not hesitate to call on them. The purpose of the PRELIMINARY HEARING is to present evidence to a District Court Judge that a crime has been committed and that the defendant is "probably" the one who committed the crime. This is known as "probable cause." If the District Court Judge finds probable cause exists, the case will go to the Grand Jury.

The GRAND JURY is made up of eighteen citizens of Jefferson County who hear the same evidence that was presented at the Preliminary Hearing. Essentially, they must also determine probable cause. You may be required to testify before the Grand Jury if you are the victim or if you witnessed the crime. Neither the defendant nor his attorney will be present for the Grand Jury hearing.

If the Grand Jury finds probable cause, an indictment is issued listing the official charge against the defendant. The case then goes to the CIRCUIT COURT where jury trials are held. Sometimes the defendant will plead guilty to the crime before the trial date. However, if the case does go to trial, you will be required to testify.

Care is taken to ensure you understand the process of each phase of your case in the court system, but we encourage you to contact the Deputy District Attorney assigned to your case or the Victim Assistance Office if you have questions or concerns that have not been addressed.