Every crime in California is defined by a specific code section. Our attorneys explain the law, penalties and best defense strategies for every major crime in California.
Crimes by Code
Every crime in California is defined by a specific code section. Our attorneys explain the law, penalties and best defense strategies for every major crime in California.
California DUI
DUI arrests don't always lead to convictions in court. Police officer mistakes, faulty breathalyzers and crime lab errors may get your charges reduced or dismissed. Visit our California DUI page to learn more.
Post Conviction
A criminal record can affect job, immigration, licensing and even housing opportunities. In this section, we offer solutions for clearing up your prior record.
Please note: Our firm only handles criminal and DUI cases, and only in California. We do not handle any of the following cases:
And we do not handle any cases outside of California.
Call Us NowPosted on
A felony pretrial hearing is a meeting in court involving the defendant, the criminal defense lawyer, the prosecutor, and the judge. The hearing takes place after the preliminary hearing, but before the jury trial. Sometimes the court holds several pretrial hearings before the case is set for jury trial.
The following five things often take place at pretrial hearings:
A felony pretrial hearing is not the same proceeding as a preliminary hearing in a felony case.
The latter is similar to a mini-trial that is conducted a few weeks after your arraignment, or when you initially appear in court for a felony criminal charge (as opposed to a misdemeanor). The purpose of the herring is for a judge to determine:
In the criminal court process, pretrial hearings are often referred to as “pre-trial conferences.” The most important things that take place during these conferences include:
Most often, yes. Most states say that you must be present at all court dates in felony cases, including pretrial hearings.2
In contrast, your attorney can often appear on your behalf in most misdemeanor cases.
No. A preliminary hearing is a separate court hearing that is held before a trial in a felony criminal court proceeding.
A preliminary hearing is where a judge examines the evidence in a case to determine:
If the judge finds that there is probable cause to believe you committed the felony, the case proceeds through the criminal court process and advances towards a trial date.3 The result could be a:
Prior to the judge making an official ruling, the following occurs:
Note that a pretrial hearing usually takes place within a few weeks of when a defendant is arraigned. The specific timing of the court date depends largely on whether you are held in jail or were released on bail or on your own recognizance.
All defendants are encouraged to contact an experienced criminal defense attorney or law firm before a preliminary hearing or pretrial conference. Most attorneys provide free consultations, which means you can get your legal questions answered at no cost.
A former Los Angeles prosecutor, attorney Neil Shouse graduated with honors from UC Berkeley and Harvard Law School (and completed additional graduate studies at MIT). He has been featured on CNN, Good Morning America, Dr Phil, The Today Show and Court TV. Mr Shouse has been recognized by the National Trial Lawyers as one of the Top 100 Criminal and Top 100 Civil Attorneys.