Chapter 13: The Courtroom: Pretrial and Trial Process Flashcards
Two procedures that determine whether or not a proceeding goes to trial.
Preliminary Hearing (Information):
- Prosecutor files an information, (Prosecutor’s sworn statement) formally charging the defendant w/ a crime, that is reviewed by a judge during preliminary hearing.
Indictment:
- Prosecutor files a complaint document, charging an individual with an offense, & describing the parts of the offense being charged, and a grand jury decides whether or not to indict a defendant.
Pre Trial Motions: #1 Double Jeopardy
Can’t be tried twice for the same offense (in the same court jurisdiction).
Pre Trial Motions: #2 Speedy Trial
- Speedy trial will not be given to if you don’t ask for it.
- Right to trial without undue / unnecessary delay.
Pre Trial Motions: #3 Improper Venue
- Too much publicity (often made assertion by P or D).
- Changing the location of the trial to have a more fair trial.
Pre Trial Motions: #4 Discovery of Exonerating Evidence in Possession of the Prosecution
- aka, Reciprocal Discovery
- request by defense attorney for prosecution to turn over all evidence they intend to use at trial (adversarial evidence and nonadversarial).
Pre Trial Motions: #5 Motion to Suppress
- filed by defense attorney to request that unlawfully obtained evidence / fruit of the poisonous tree be inadmissible at trial.
Preliminary Hearing
Determines whether defendant should be “bound over” to trial or “bound over” to grand jury.
Preliminary hearings should happen within _____ days of arrest, and their purpose is to determine whether there is _______________ evidence to subject the defendant to a _______________ prosecution.
This hearing is different from the _________ ___________ detention hearing in Chapter 12, where the government has to prove that there is probable cause for a prolonged ____________ of the arrestee.
10; sufficient; criminal
probable cause; detention
Preliminary hearings act as “_______-________” in which the defendant is granted the right to a _____________.
During this hearing, the prosecution presents _____________, in support of the defendant’s guilt of the crime. The defendant’s _____________ may ____________ ______________ the prosecution’s witnesses, and present _____________ to expose the “fatal _______________” of the prosecution’s argument.
The judge is then left to make the decision as to whether or not there is ______________ evidence to subject the defendant to ____________ or whether to ____________ him.
mini-trial; lawyer
evidence; lawyer; cross examine; witnesses; weaknesses
sufficient; trial; release
The judge’s responsibility during the preliminary hearing is to answer 1) whether or not a crime _______ committed, and 2) whether or not the ____________ committed it.
What are the two standards used in deciding whether or not to “bind over” the defendant to a trial:
was; defendant
- Probable Cause Approach
- Prima Facie Approach
Probable Cause Approach
There has to be a “reasonable probability” (has to be probable cause to believe) that the prosecution will be successful in convicting the defendant.
Prima Facie Approach
The judge has to determine, if it’s also believed by the jury, that the evidence is sufficient to convict the defendant.
Preliminary hearing is not _____________ in every state. States are divided according to whether they are _____________ states, ______________ states, or ____________ ___________ states.
required; indictment; information; modified indictment
Indictment States
(18 States)
Following the preliminary hearing, the prosecutor brings the felony charges before a grand jury for indictment.
Prosecutors may bypass the preliminary hearing, and take the felony charges directly before a grand jury.
Information States
(28 States)
Prosecutors may bring felony charges based the sworn statement in the information, and may bring these charges before a preliminary hearing or a grand jury.
Modified Information States
(4 States)
Felony charges for capital offenses which bear the punishment of life imprisonment and the death penalty require indictments before a grand jury.
The Grand Jury’s primary function is to protect defendants from ______________ prosecutor’s, who may charge defendants with more ______________ crimes than what they actually committed. They are meant to stand between the _____________ and the _____________, and ensure that charges are based on _____________, not _____________, or personal ____-______.
overzealous; serious; accuser; accused; reason; malice; ill-will
Federal Rules of Criminal procedure require _____________ for ____________ offenses punishable by ____________ or ______________ for more than __ year.
indictments; federal; death; imprisonment; 1
In Hurtado v. California, (1884), a criminal court in California convicted Petitioner Hurtado of murder, based on _________ charges brought in a _____________ _____________ but not before a ___________ ___________ indictment.
The dispositive question before the Court was if the state convicting someone for _____________ without a ___________ __________ indictment violated the Due Process Clause of the ____th Amendment.
The Court ruled NO, and upheld Hurtado’s _______________. The court reasoned that it’s focus was on maintaining “_____________ ______________,” a principle which they thought could be reasonably accomplished in the states by either having the felony charges brought before a _____________ ______________ or a ___________ ____________.
felony; preliminary hearing; grand jury
murder; grand jury; 14th
conviction; fundamental fairness; preliminary hearing; grand jury
Tenants for Being a juror serving on a grand jury:
- Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure provide that grand juries are to be made up of ______ - _____ persons, although that number differs from __________ to __________.
- The ruling MUST be a ____________ vote in cases involving indictments by the ___________ __________.
- Juror must be at least ______ yrs old.
- Juror must be (selected) from the ____________ jurisdiction.
- Juror should be able to read, speak, write, and understand _____________.
- Juror should also exhibit ___________, good _____________, and ____________.
16; 23; state; state
majority; grand jury
18
relevant
English
intelligence; character; honesty
Purging the Grand Jury
Process of selecting certain members from the pool of people called to serve jury duty.
Petit jury
Jury at trial
(people actually chosen from the pool).
Must represent a cross section of the community.
Key-Man System
Grand jury is selected from influential members of the community
Individuals may not be excluded from service on grand jury based on __________, ___________, or ___________ __________.
Defendants may challenge the ______________ of the grand jury if people were unfairly __________ from serving. A successful ______________ results in _____________ of the indictment.
Now, if a trial judge were to improperly conduct the indictment, having not dismissed it due to unfair ____________, then the appellate court judge will enter an automatic _____________ of the trial court conviction if he determines individuals were unlawfully ___________ from sitting on the grand jury.
This Automatic Reversal Rule exists because the Court can’t reasonably assume that a grand jury where individuals were _______ unlawfully _______________ would reach the same verdict/conclusion as the jury that was ______________ unlawfully.
race; religion; national origin
composition; excluded; challenge; dismissal
composition; reversal; excluded
NOT; excluded; composed
The grand jury’s responsibility is not JUST to determine whether there is ___________ ___________ to “bind over” the defendant to _________.
Grand jury also decides…
- whether to impose a “more ___________” or “__________” charge,
- whether the crime is a ______________ or non_____________ offense,
- and the grand jury doesn’t _________ to indict in every case where there’s an opportunity.
probable cause; trial
serious; lesser
capital; capital
have
The typical duration of a Grand Jury is _____ months, with the potential extension of _____ months.
18; 6
The grand jury serves as an independent body of their own ______________. Jury deliberations are in large part ____________ by the ___________. The prosecutor files an ____________ document, written clearly and concisely the charges against the defendant, which is then signed by the _____________ and the _____________ of the jury. The prosecutor then exhibits ___________ and calls __________, giving jurors things to ____________ in their deliberations as to whether or not they will indict. The jury may also independently ask certain _____________ to take the stand and may ask their own questions, which the ___________ is not present for. Jury deliberations happen without the _____________ or ______________ present.
investigation; directed; prosecutor; indictment; prosecutor; foreperson; evidence; witnesses; consider; witnesses; defense; prosecution; defense
True Bill
Grand jury moves to indict defendant.
(GJ found probable cause to bind over defendant to trial).
No Bill
Grand jury decides not to indict the defendant.
Presentment
Grand jury goes beyond simple indictment.
Grand jury fashions a report given the court listing individuals they believe are involved in criminal activity.
Two requirements for an indictment
Essential Elements:
- Demonstrates that there was criminal intent and criminal act.
Factual Specificity:
- Identifies criminal intent and criminal act that constitute crime.
Grant of Immunity
court order compelling defendant to testify where defendants allege that doing so would incriminate them.
Two types of Grant of Immunity
Transactional Immunity
Use and Derivative Use Immunity
Transactional Immunity
Defendant is immune from criminal prosecution for anything he says he did during transaction that is the subject of the witness’ testimony
Use and Derivative Use Immunity
Defendant may not be prosecuted for anything they said during testimony.
Subpoena Ad Testificandum
court order compelling individual to testify.
Subpoena Duces Tecum
court order compelling production of evidence or documents.
Reasonable doubt
standard for criminal conviction (that prosecutors have to overcome)
If the grand jury has indicted the defendant, such that they found probable cause to bind over the defendant to trial, an ________________ hearing will be held. The judge will inform the defendant of the __________ against him, and ask that the defendant enter one of 4 formal ____________.
What are those formal ___________?
arraignment; charges; pleas
pleas
1) Not guilty: “Didn’t commit the crime”
2) Not guilty by reason of insanity: “Didn’t understand the nature of my actions.”
3) Nolo contendere: “I do not wish to challenge the prosecution’s charges.”
4) Guilty: “I did commit the crime, and i will lay out what happened.”
Nolo Contedere
“I don’t wish to contest the charges.”
Very similar to a guilty plea, except here the defendant is not admitting to criminal guilt.
Carries the punishment of a guilty plea.
However, if one please nolo contendere, then they can’t later be held liable for civil damages (because they’re not admitting to the crime).
Double Jeopardy
5th Amendment of United States Constitution
Prohibits being tried twice for the same criminal offense.
3 Protections provided by Self Incrimination clause of the 5th Amendment
- Can’t be tried twice for the same offense if acquitted.
- Can’t be tried twice for the same offense if convicted.
- Can’t be punished twice for the same crime.
Exceptions to the Double Jeopardy clause
Being tried twice for the same crime in criminal court, and civil court.
- defendant may be convicted (criminal), then held for injury by the victims (civil).
Rule: A second prosecution for the same offense is prohibited ONLY where double jeopardy attaches to the __________ trial proceeding.
FIRST
3 Stages at which Jeopardy Attaches to first criminal proceeding
1) Jury Trial
2) Judge
3) Guilty Plea
1) Jury Trial
When a jury is impaneled, and sworn to defend U.S. Constitution (jeopardy attaches)
2) Judge
During bench trial with a judge, when the first witness is called to testify (jeopardy attaches).
3) Guilty Plea
When the defendant pleads guilty, and the judge enters a conviction (jeopardy attaches).
Mistrial
Fundamental error during trial which causes trial to be cancelled.
A second trial for the same criminal offense is permitted where there is a ______________ based on a motion filed by the ____________, or based on the ___________’s consent.
If the defendant files a _______________ resulting in _____________, or consents to the ______________, he thereby waives his right against ____________ _____________, and to have his guilt / innocence ascertained by a a group of _____________ and a __________ presiding over the case.
Some defendant’s consent to the ______________ because they believe they’ve been _____________ during the initial proceeding, and that they stand a better chance of _____________ in the second trial. Other defendants opt to continue with the first trial to avoid the ___________, and stress associated with multiple prosecutions, delay periods, and more legal expenses.
mistrial; defendant; defendant’s
motion; mistrial; mistrial; double jeopardy; jurors; judge
mistrial; prejudiced; acquittal; anxiety
Manifest Necessity
When a judge declares a mistrial despite the defendant’s objection, because justice would not be served if the trial were allowed to continue.
2 Requirements for Mistrial based on Manifest Necessity
- Impartial Verdict Cannot be Reached.
- A Conviction could be reached, but an error found in appellate court makes a reversal certain.
- Impartial Verdict Cannot Be Reached
- E.g. If a hung / deadlocked jury can’t reach a decision, a verdict might be handed down out of impatience.
- E.g. Maybe one of the jurors is acquainted with the defendant, and may be biased against the govt.
- A conviction could be reached, but an error found in appellate court makes a reversal certain.
- E.g. let’s say one of the jurors was found to someone who served on the grand jury that indicted the defendant.
- maybe this juror had already made up his mind about the guilt of the defendant long ago, which presents the potential for bias.
In Green v. United States, (1957), the Supreme Court ruled that a defendant who appeals their conviction may be tried twice for the same crime.
A defendant may appeal their conviction based on a perceived legal ___________.
If successful, the trial will be sent ________ to the ___________ court for further proceedings.
If the the prosecution finds the defendant _________ on retry, then there’s no room for the defendant to claim __________ _____________.
This is why the Court ruled that on appeal, one forgoes / waives their right to ___________ ______________.
However, retrial is ____________ from the prosecution, by the __________ _____________ clause where it is found on appeal that the prosecution, during trial court, lacked sufficient evidence to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a _____________ ____________.
error
back; trial
guilty; double jeopardy
double jeopardy
barred; double jeopardy; reasonable doubt
Double Jeopardy doesn’t attach where one one is tried for ___________ crimes during the ____________ transaction.
E.g. If you killed 3 people, that’s all within the ___________ transaction, but each separate crimes, and may each result in _____________ prosecutions.
separate; same
same; separate
Double Jeopardy doesn’t attach either where the same offense breaks ____________ laws, which constitutes _____________ offenses.
E.g. You may commit murder, and may be charged under _______________ to ____________ murder, and actual _____________ murder. Some evidence within your action may be used to convict you under the ______________ to carry out a _____________ murder (where you agreed to kill someone), whereas other evidence, from the same offense, convicts you of conducting the _____________ murder.
separate; separate
conspiracy; premeditated; premeditated; conspiracy; premeditated; premeditated
Blockburger Test
(Est. Blockburger v. U.S., (1977))
Goes against the idea that that one may be charged with two offenses for the same crime, where evidence of both offenses must be gathered from the same crime.
Dual Sovereignty Doctrine
Exception to Double Jeopardy Rule.
One may be tried in state and federal court jurisdictions for the same criminal offense.
AND
One may be tried in by two separate state governments for the same criminal offense.
Collateral Estoppel
Information that was established in the first trial may not be used in a subsequent trial.