The preliminary hearing typically occurs between ten and fourteen days after arrest. A preliminary hearing (also known as a “probable cause” hearing, or “commitment” hearing) is a proceeding where the prosecutor must establish in court that they have enough evidence to detain the individual on the filed charges (i.e. warrant). The hearing is designed primarily for the benefit of those incarcerated individuals who have been unable to post bond, to ensure that they are not held in jail on unfounded charges. However, individuals out on bond are also permitted to request a preliminary hearing, and as a general rule an attorney should request one in almost every felony case regardless of whether the defendant is in jail.
If a defendant is in jail at the time the preliminary hearing is conducted and the state fails to establish probable cause that he or she has committed the offense, the defendant is entitled to have the charge dismissed and to be released from jail. If the defendant is not in jail and the state fails to establish probable cause the defendant is entitled to have the charge dismissed and to be released from the conditions of his or her bond. However, a dismissal of the charge at the preliminary hearing does not prevent a grand jury from issuing an indictment against the defendant at a later date. Thus, a defendant whose case is thrown out at a preliminary hearing could still face the same charges again. If this occurs, then the defendant will be rearrested on the same charge, and would have to post bond in order to get out of jail while awaiting trial.
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Preliminary Hearing Attorney in Lawrenceville
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