Goals at a Preliminary Hearing
A Sacramento criminal defense attorney can help you understand what will happen at the preliminary hearing after the police arrest and book you. It is best at this point to have an attorney who is able to help you and answer your questions about what is happening.
One of your attorney’s goals will be to try to get your bail reduced. It may be possible to argue that the case against you is so weak that the charges should be dismissed, but that is not very likely. However, your attorney will have an opportunity to questions some witnesses before the trial, which may indicate whether the victim’s testimony is credible, how damaging the testimony is to your case, and how severe the victim’s injuries were. These factors may be used to argue for a reduction in bail.
The preliminary hearing will also be a good opportunity for your attorney to gather information. Formal discovery is not as thorough in criminal cases as it is in civil, so it may be difficult to find witnesses and get them to agree to be interviewed. If they are called by the prosecution, however, they will be telling their story mostly unrehearsed and without a lot of coaching and preparation. Hearing this raw version of their testimony can be useful to your attorney, as he or she will be able to determine how credible they are.
If you have further questions about the purpose of your preliminary hearing, contact Sacramento criminal defense attorney Param Pabla for a consultation.