Someone who is being charged with a crime has intrinsic rights and is protected by applicable provisions of the constitution. It is also crucial to remember that there are legal procedures that must be followed when charging a person for a crime and the general principle is basically from state to state. Your proper appreciation of the legal options and the protection of your constitutional rights are the primary concern of a Cincinnati Criminal defense attorney. If you are being accused of a crime, it is essential that you know when it is time to get the services of a Cincinnati criminal defense lawyer.

A person can actually have a criminal case before being arrested. In this situation, a magistrate or judge authorizes the arrest of a person being accused of a crime with the issuance of an arrest warrant. Police authorities will implement the arrest warrant by locating the person being charged with the offense.

The procedure for the implementation of the arrest warrant requires the arrest order to be given to the accused so they are aware of why there are being arrested. Be aware that the authorities are not required to have a copy of the arrest warrant in order to implement the order. However, they are required to furnish him a copy of the order for his arrest within a reasonable period of time or it is deemed an illegal arrest. This is when the person who is subject of the arrest warrant should seek the advice of a criminal defense lawyer.

Once the person is arrested, the booking procedure commences. This includes the documentation process where the fingerprinting and other procedural requirements are done by police authorities. The arrested person is given the opportunity to talk to his attorney while the booking procedure is being done. The accused can talk to their defense lawyer while in police custody. The arrested person will remain in the custody of the police until the court hearing is arranged and such court hearing must be done within 48 hours from the time the person is arrested. It is crucial for the accused to talk to his attorney especially before the court hearing is done.

The person being charged with the crime will be asked by the judge to enter a plea after being presented with the specific charges filed against him in court. The plea can either be guilty, no contest or not guilty. If the accused chooses not to enter any plea, the court, through the judge will enter a not guilty plea in his behalf.

Notwithstanding the circumstances of the charged person, he may choose to enter a not guilty plea especially when he thinks that the evidence against him would not be sufficient enough to prove his guilt beyond reasonable doubt. In which case, the court will proceed to hear the case in order to establish whether the person can be convicted or acquitted of the crime that he is being accused of.