After You Are Arrested: Booking, Bail, and O.R.

How Do You Get Someone Out of Jail?

Understand how bail works, the process for setting and paying bail, and the risks of paying someone's bail to get them out of jail.

Preliminary Hearing: What to Expect in Court

If you've been charged with a felony, a preliminary hearing is your first major chance to challenge the prosecutor's case. Learn how probable cause works, when hearings occur, and why waiving this right is rarely a good idea.

What Are Mitigating or Extenuating Circumstances?

Not all crimes are treated equally—and for good reason. Mitigating circumstances allow courts to consider a defendant's background, mental state, and role in a crime before deciding punishment.

Should I Admit Guilt to My Criminal Defense Attorney?

It's up to the judge or jury to determine guilt. Your job is to be candid with your defense attorney, so that he or she can present the best possible defense.

Should I Plead Guilty?

There are a lot of things to consider when deciding whether to plead guilty, including the consequences down the line.

Summary Judgments and Pretrial Judgments: Civil and Criminal Trials

Once a criminal trial has begun but before it goes to the jury, it's possible for a defendant to obtain a not-guilty verdict from the judge.

Getting a Criminal Charge Dropped or Dismissed

Many cases are dismissed before a plea or trial. Learn about the common reasons why.

What Happens If You Commit a Crime in Another State?

It can be bewildering to navigate any criminal justice system, but even more so if you are from out of state. Understand what it means to face out-of-state criminal charges.

What Is an Alibi Defense?

Claiming an alibi means asserting you were somewhere else during a crime. But how do you prove it in court? From eyewitness testimony to cell phone tracking, understand the evidence required to build a strong alibi defense.

Entrapment as a Defense to a Criminal Charge

Understand how the defense of entrapment works, including examples of police entrapment and what the defendant needs to prove.

Affirmative Defenses in Criminal Cases

Can you be acquitted even if the prosecution proves every element of the crime? Yes, with an affirmative defense. Learn how self-defense, duress, entrapment, insanity, and other defenses can protect you in a criminal case.

Pleading Insanity in a Criminal Case

A successful insanity defense usually results in many years of mandatory treatment in a psychiatric hospital, not a free ride out of prison.

Getting a Criminal Charge Dropped or Dismissed

Many cases are dismissed before a plea or trial. Learn about the common reasons why.

How to Get a Case Dismissed After Conviction

You might be able to get a criminal conviction set aside or dismissed through a successful appeal, deferred adjudication program, or expungement.

Federal Sentencing Guidelines

The federal sentencing guidelines are rules that federal judges are required to consider when sentencing someone who has been convicted of a crime.

What Are Mitigating or Extenuating Circumstances?

Not all crimes are treated equally—and for good reason. Mitigating circumstances allow courts to consider a defendant's background, mental state, and role in a crime before deciding punishment.

Sentencing Alternatives to Jail and Prison

Time behind bars isn't the only sentencing option available. Learn about alternatives, such as probation, restitution, community service, house arrest, and treatment.

What Is Probation?

Probation allows convicted defendants to avoid serving their entire sentence, as long as they comply with certain conditions. How does probation work? And is it a good option for you?