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A First Appearance Hearing
(also referred to as a Committal Hearing) is a formal
hearing conducted usually in front of a Magistrate Judge for
the purpose of advising the defendant of the charge(s) being
brought against them. This hearing isn't a court of inquiry so
there will be no testimony given by the defendant. The goal of
the Judge in this hearing is to inform the defendant of the
following:
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Charge(s) brought against the
defendant,
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Advise the defendant of all
rights afforded to the defendant,
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Bond amount for each charge if
applicable,
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Right to have the court assign a
Court Appointed Attorney,
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Court date set for a Preliminary
(Probable Cause) Hearing if the defendant remains in jail,
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and if the Preliminary Hearing
may be waived if the defendant so chooses.
NOTE:
In cases where the defendant is
currently on active Probation or Parole, a bond cannot be set by the
Judge at the First Appearance Hearing. Probation cases require
that a Superior Court Judge set the bond which will require that a
Bond Hearing be set at a later date. In instances of Parole,
the defendant's assigned Parole Officer may decide to place a Hold/Detainer
on the defendant because of new charges being brought against the
defendant.
This is a hearing between the defendant and the judge only.
The details of the case WILL NOT be discussed at this time.
THERE IS NO PUBLIC INTERACTION WITH THE COURT OR THE
JUDGE!!! IF YOU ATTEND THIS HEARING YOU WILL SIT
QUIETLY IN THE COURTROOM. There are NO exceptions.
If you violate these rules you may be charged with contempt
of court by the judge and you WILL be told to leave
immediately or be arrested and taken to jail. This
will be up to the judge whether you pay a fine or go to
jail.
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For information on putting
money on an inmate's account, click
here.
For information on visiting an
inmate, click here.
For information on bonding an
inmate out of jail, click here.
For information on preliminary
hearings and trials, click here. |
