Transcript Proceedings

What Is the Purpose of a Pretrial Hearing? As previously discussed, the purpose of a pretrial hearing is to resolve any simple issues before the court case actually begins in order to allow the trial itself to proceed more effectively.

The federal system and most state systems have two appellate-level courts: a Court of Appeals and a Supreme Court.Asking an appellate court to review a case is called an appeal. You're On Trial! The trial court is the first court to hear a case.

Motions are not pleadings but are requests for the judge to make a legal ruling. Some of the most common pre-trial motions include: Motion to Discover. A motion by which one party seeks to gain information from the adverse party.

In a jury trial, a group of twelve people listens to the evidence and decides who wins the case. That decision is called the verdict. In a bench trial there is no jury, so the judge gives the verdict.

Discovery in a criminal case refers to the exchange of evidence and statements between opposing sides of a case.Typically, a defense attorney will file a Notice of Appearance, informing the Court and the prosecutor of his or her role in the case, and a Discovery Demand requesting particular information.

Go to the courthouse where the case is pending and ask the clerk to see the court file. They should let you look at it while you are in the room.

In both civil and criminal cases, discovery involves investigating the evidence that the other side plans to present. It can prevent any surprises at trial, narrow the issues that are disputed, and often help the two sides reach a resolution out of court rather than going through a full trial.

Pre-trial conferences include full discovery of evidence (bills, receipts, agreements, contracts, photos, etc.). At the pre-trial, you must be prepared to bring all documents that you anticipate will be introduced as evidence at the trial and you must provide a copy of each potential exhibit to the opposing party.

After you complete your motion, you must file it with the court.You must then serve (mail) a copy of your filed motion (including all exhibits and the date, time, and place of hearing) to all other parties in the case. If a party is represented by an attorney, mail the motion directly to the attorney's office.