Critical Stages

The District Attorney’s Office must inform the victim of the date, time and location of the highlighted critical stages. All other stages are the responsibility of other agencies.

• Filing of charges
• Preliminary hearing;
• Bond reduction or modification hearing;
• Arraignment;
• Hearing on motions concerning evidentiary matters or pre-plea or post-plea relief;
• Disposition of complaint or charges;
• Trial;
• Sentencing;
• Appellate review or appellate decision;
• Sentence modification hearing;
• Probation revocation hearing;
• Filing of any complaint, summons, or warrant by the probation department for failure to report to probation or because the location of the person convicted is unknown;
• Request for change of venue or transfer of probation supervision;
• Request for any probation release;
• Any attack on judgment or conviction;
• Parole application hearing;
• Parole, release, or discharge from imprisonment;
• Parole revocation hearing;
• Transfer to placement of a person convicted of a crime to a non-secured facility; and,
• Transfer, release, or escape of a person charged with or convicted of a crime from any state hospital.

Overview of the Juvenile criminal process:

Detention hearings

Charging process

Trial process