Julian Arenas (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
sociospatial) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
dear_mun2014-06-23 01:25 pm
sociospatial) wrote in dear_mun2014-06-23 01:25 pm
Entry tags:
When you have questions, my sweet, I have answers.
Okay, let's talk.
Why do prosecutors like make a defendant waive a preliminary hearing? Preliminary hearing being one of the options for indicting someone, other than a grand jury. Lucky you, you're in Virginia, where they have both.
Think about it this way. How much discovery are you allowed to do on the prosecutor's evidence? That's right, not much. The fact that they even give you a police report on top of 1) your client's statements and 2) your client's criminal record is just generosity on their part, ridiculous as that sounds. They're only required to give you more when it hits one week before trial, and even then, not much. One week. Not much time to prepare, no matter what Law & Order tells you.
Now, a preliminary hearing. You get to hear the officer testify. You get to hear the evidence they plan to put on. It's a discovery substitute. Beyond that, it saves them time and energy that they can spend prosecuting more pointless cases.
See? I'm on your side.
Why do prosecutors like make a defendant waive a preliminary hearing? Preliminary hearing being one of the options for indicting someone, other than a grand jury. Lucky you, you're in Virginia, where they have both.
Think about it this way. How much discovery are you allowed to do on the prosecutor's evidence? That's right, not much. The fact that they even give you a police report on top of 1) your client's statements and 2) your client's criminal record is just generosity on their part, ridiculous as that sounds. They're only required to give you more when it hits one week before trial, and even then, not much. One week. Not much time to prepare, no matter what Law & Order tells you.
Now, a preliminary hearing. You get to hear the officer testify. You get to hear the evidence they plan to put on. It's a discovery substitute. Beyond that, it saves them time and energy that they can spend prosecuting more pointless cases.
See? I'm on your side.
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[ Believe it or not, it's more observation than cloying statement. ]
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[ Charlie's fascinated with lawyers. ]
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Can't say I'm familiar.
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Always wanted to meet one in person but now I'm not sure you're the real thing.
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You know, I was thinking about becoming a lawyer... do you have to read to become a lawyer?
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What's your name?
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What do you do right now, Charlie?
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You know she's got a universe where I'm the President of the United States? What I could do with that office...
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I hear that would go great.
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