Answer:

I had a client call recently because he was charged with a felony in Georgia. He asked me how the process worked, how the criminal defense process works. In the state of Georgia, if you’re charged with a felony, there are several different court dates that will occur in your case. The very first court date is called an arraignment. It is when you are notified of the specific charges and allegations against you.

The next step in the process after arraignment is the court will be scheduled – will schedule several plea days where you can negotiate your case with the assistant district attorney that is on the other side and is actually prosecuting the matter. Then eventually, you will be set for a pre-trial calendar where you discuss whether or not you want a bench trial, which is a trial simply in front of the judge, or whether or not you want a jury trial. That would be a trail in front of 12 Georgia citizens that your attorney would have an opportunity to weigh in and help select. Then once the jury trial or bench trial is complete, there will either be a conviction or an acquittal. If there is a conviction, there will be a sentence after that.

The procedure can be complicated. Every case is different. I’d love to talk with you about your individual matter. We can walk through exactly what will happen in your case. Please call me.