First Appearance
When you or someone you know is charged with a criminal offence, there can be a lot of stress and uncertainty leading up to the first court date. While criminal proceedings are very serious, they take some time. A case is unlikely to be resolved in one appearance, and most of the time very little will happen at a first appearance. Your first court date is not a trial. A trial must be scheduled, typically several months or more in the future. While it is usually possible to enter a plea of guilty or not guilty on your first appearance, you do not have to do so. Before entering a plea, you should speak with a lawyer and obtain advice. You are also entitled to receive and review a copy of the evidence against you, known as disclosure. You may also want to find out from the prosecution what sentence […]