The criminal justice process starts with the commission of a crime. There are three basic ways a case may be brought to court.
Arrest of the accused at the scene of the crime;
- Arrest based on a warrant issued by the Court in response to a sworn complaint; and
- Arrest based on an indictment by a grand jury as the result of an investigation.
In all three instances, the evidence available must be sufficient to later convince the Court that there is “probable cause” to believe that a crime was committed and that the person arrested took part in committing the crime. “Probable Cause” means that there is reasonable belief that a crime has been committed.
