Although the proceedings of the initial appearance and arraignment are fairly straightforward, they represent important steps for a Fort Worth criminal attorney. Your attorney will have the following roles during this process.

Review of Accusatory Statement

Your Fort Worth criminal defense attorney will review the instrument that sets out the charges against you. He or she may challenge its sufficiency if it appears to fail to establish probable cause.

Ask for Bail

Your criminal defense attorney may ask that you be released on bail either on your own recognizance or through a cash bond. Even if this request is denied, it can still be helpful for an attorney to make this request because it may force the prosecution to reveal additional evidence in order to dispute this request.

Discovery

Arraignment is often a time when the prosecutor and criminal defense attorney notify one another of their intent to introduce certain evidence or exercise specific rights. The prosecution’s evidence may include statements the defendant made or evidence of a witness identification.

Pretrial Requests

The criminal defense attorney may make a number of requests at this time. For example, he or she may request that the defendant have a chance to testify before the grand jury. He or she may also ask that the prosecution provide him or her with the names of potential witnesses or preserve certain information that might otherwise be destroyed, such as a 911 call, voicemail calls, the victim’s calls and blood samples. Your attorney may also request a preliminary hearing if he or she wants to present a motion to the court.

Pretrial Relationships

Your attorney can also begin to build or build upon a relationship with the prosecutor. He or she may also talk to the arresting officer and get his or her opinion.

Legal Assistance

If you would like more information about the role of your Fort Worth criminal attorney during an initial appearance or arraignment, contact the Law Office of Bryan P. Hoeller by calling (877) 208-3382.