Tampa Federal Criminal Defense Lawyer

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The Criminal Justice Process: Trial

If you are seeking information about the criminal justice process in Florida, you can get specific information by reading the information below and following these links:

If you have been charged with a crime and wish to speak to a criminal defense attorney from Mark J. O’Brien, we urge you to contact our law offices in Tampa and Orlando. Otherwise, you can call us at 813-440-2347, en Español at 813-390-2494 or Orlando at 407-305-4585.

Trial

If a defendant does not plead guilty he has a right to a trial. Trials are typically held within 125 days of the initial arrest. Victims may be required to testify, and if so a victim advocate will assist in explaining the procedure to the individuals. Victim advocates can assist victims in making arrangements to prepare for court.

Continuances

Cases are often pushed back or continued. Occasionally the state attorney cannot take a case to trial as quickly as possible, in which case continuances are submitted.

Close Of The Trial

Once both the defense attorney and the assistant state attorney present the evidence, both attorneys summarize the main points of their argument. This is called a “closing statement.” Once the closing arguments conclude, the jury is excused to decide if the defendant is guilty or not guilty. The decision rendered by the jury is called the verdict.