civil appeals are also presided over by three-judge panels. Although trial procedure is primarily based on the adversarial system, where the defense and prosecution conduct the trial with judges observing, it also incorporates elements of the inquisitorial system, where judges take an active role in the trial proceedings. Everyone accused of a criminal offense has the right to be represented by counsel, and if the accused cannot afford private counsel, they are entitled to representation by counsel from the Public Defense, a unit of the Ministry of Justice, if they meet the criteria. All defendants charged with a crime punishable by at least 10 years imprisonment, indigent defendants charged with a crime punishable by at least 5 years imprisonment, juveniles, and the disabled are entitled to representation from the public defense. Prosecutions are handled by the State Attorney's Office, which consists of a central bureau and eight regional offices. Criminal defendants enjoy the presumption of innocence, with the burden of proof falling on the prosecution. Every trial starts with a procedure referred to as the reading, where the presiding judge will read the charges to the defendant and then ask the defendant to confirm understanding of the charges. If deemed necessary, the court will further explain the charges to the defendant, but will refrain if the defense counsel explained the charges to the defendant. Then, if the defendant and prosecution consent and if the defendant has legal representation, the court will conduct a preliminary hearing, during which it can clarify whether the defendant admits or denies the charges, examine the possibility of narrowing disagreements between the prosecution and defense regarding the facts or legal issues of the case, and inspect the investigation materials. Following that, the prosecution and defense begin to argue their cases. At any time after the commencement of trial proceedings and at any stage of them, the court may - if the defendant has legal representation - summon the defendant and his or her defense counsel and the prosecutor to ascertain whether they agree upon a point of fact or admissibility of a piece of evidence. After trial proceedings begin, a defendant is entitled to make preliminary pleadings to the court regarding a lack of jurisdiction or an invalidating feature of the indictment, or charge that the facts alleged in the indictment do not constitute an offense. After a preliminary claim is made, the court may reject