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A pretrial hearing for a felony charge is the proceeding where the Defense Attorney and the Prosecutor discuss ways of resolving the charge. It is the first hearing to take place in the Circuit Court.
That action should have taken place at either the defendant's arraignment, preliminary hearing, or bail hearing. A pre-trial conference is between the prosecutor and the defense attorney in which they discuss "disclosure,' exchange witness lists and other administrative matters pertaining to the conduct of the upcoming trial. You could write a letter , or request a meeting with the prosecutor, to try and impress on him the danger that the 'free' defendant poses. If he can be convinced, he can submit a motion to the court requesting the defendant's bail be revoked. Also, check to see if your local law enforcement agency (or the prosecutor's office) might have a Victim/Witness Advocate program which might be able to help you.
If the plea is accepted, the defendant will normally be sentenced by the presiding judge.
Normally this means that instead of a case going to trial it can be diverted from prosecution if the Defendant enters a pretrial intervention program.
This all depends on what type of motion hearing it is. Motion hearings are either pretrial motions or postconviction motions, the latter which does not occur if the defendant is not convicted of a crime. A defendant is never forced to plead guilty to any crime.
An initial appearance is a pretrial stage in which a defendant is brought before a lower court to be given notice of the charge/charges and advised of his/her constitutional rights. A preliminary hearing is in a felony case a pretrial stage at which a judge determines whether there is probable cause.
The amount of a bail bond and conditions of pretrial release are set by the court. If an incarcerated defendant wishes to have the the bail bond amount reduced, the court should be petitioned for a hearing where evidence pertaining to what would be an appropriate amount can be introduced and considered by the court. The court may then reduce the amount of the bail bond.
A nolo prossequi basically means that the case is being declined prosecution by the prosecutor. This could be for a variety of reasons, most commonly being that the defendant entered a pretrial intervention program, which would defer prosecution until the program is completed, wherein then the prosecutor would drop the charges. A withholding of adjudication, on the other hand, is where the judge will not adjudicate you guilty, unless you violate the terms of any conditions for which that withholding of adjudication is being granted. Generally this means probation, a fine, or other sanction. However you will have still entered a plea of guilty, no contest, or have been found guilty in a trial. While there would be a declaration of guilt in this case, there would be no official record of it, which will give the defendant an opportunity to have the case sealed if he so qualifies. It will also preserve the civil rights of the defendant once he completes the sanctions that were given to him, provided he has no priors for which he was convicted.
How long is the pretrial diversion program
Pre Trial Intervention in NJ, is a program that allows first time offenders the chance to wipe the slate clean. Before the matter reaches the court system, a defendant can apply for PTI. If the defendant is accepted, certain terms and conditions are set for an average of a 1-3 year period. If the defendant successfully completes the program, the case is dismissed. This allows the defendant to live a life free from the stigma of a criminal record.
FPT stands for First Pre-Trial Conference in the court system. It is a meeting between the parties involved in a case to discuss case management, establish timelines, and potentially reach a settlement or plan for the trial process.
limit the exclusion of the press to only pretrial hearings on the suppression of evidence