A authorized continuing performed in felony circumstances to find out if there may be ample proof to determine possible trigger {that a} crime has been dedicated and that the defendant dedicated it. It serves as a filter, stopping unwarranted prosecutions by making certain a choose evaluations the proof earlier than a case proceeds to trial. For instance, if a person is arrested for theft, this continuing would contain the prosecution presenting proof like witness testimony or surveillance footage to persuade the choose that there is a cheap foundation to imagine the person dedicated the crime.
The importance of this course of lies in safeguarding particular person liberties. It protects residents from being subjected to the burden and expense of a full trial based mostly on flimsy or nonexistent proof. Traditionally, these hearings emerged as a response to issues about prosecutorial overreach and the necessity for a judicial test on the charging course of. Moreover, it typically offers the protection with an early alternative to evaluate the power of the prosecution’s case and probably negotiate a plea settlement.