The initial court appearance is the first hearing after formal charges are initiated through a legal document or the prosecutor’s accusation. The judge officially informs a person about the charges they are facing, by reading it out loud unless waived, and checks if the Defendant has a lawyer. Typically, the judge will ask the Defendant to sign the charging document and indicate a plea of either “Not Guilty” or “Guilty.”
Sometimes, judges may establish deadlines for the submission of legal motions and other arguments. In certain cases, trial dates may already be set in advance.
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