You will be asked to make a plea, which means stating if you are "guilty" or "not guilty."

If you plead "guilty":

• You agree that you committed the crime.
• The case will move directly to sentencing, where the judge decides your penalty.

If you plead "not guilty":

• You are saying you did not commit the crime.
• You are legally presumed innocent, and the case will go to trial.

Choosing Your Trial (if you plead "not guilty")

In most cases, you will then get to elect (choose) how you want to be tried:

• By a judge alone, OR
• By a judge and jury.

If you don’t make a choice, it will be assumed you want a judge and jury. After this, dates will be set for a pre-trial conference and the trial itself.