Ohio Criminal Courts Process

Columbus Criminal Lawyer

The Arraignment

As per the 6th Amendment, anyone charged for a criminal offense will be informed of their right to a speedy trial and their right to a legal counselor. During the arraignment, the defendant will be informed of the charges that the state is pressing towards them and they will also be given the right to a pleas at this time.


The discovery period, which takes place before the onset of a trial, is a period where both the defense and prosecution exchange all relevant information regarding a case. During this period, the defense will request exculpatory evidence that may be extremely impractical in the future proceedings of the case. 

The Plea Bargaining

A plea bargaining takes place before a trial in the case that the defendant makes the decision to plea guilty to one of  the charges being pressed. The defendant pleas guilty to charges less than that of which they would have been charged with had they opted to pursue a trial.

Preliminary Trial

Similar to an arraignment, a preliminary trial determines the state's probable cause and presents the charges to the defendant.

Pre-Trial Hearing

Pr-trial hearings take place before the onset of a trial and are another way that the court system uses to attempt to resolve a case outside of a full on criminal trial. The per-trial often addresses procedural concerns and legal questions as opposed to the actual matters of the case.

The Criminal Trial

During a criminal trial a jury determines whether or not a defender can be found guilty of a crime beyond reasonable doubt. A criminal trial is much different than a civil trial as the threshold that must be met to determine if a defendant can be found guilty of a crime is much. In a criminal trial the burden of proof falls on the state. 

The Appeals Process

A defendant found guilty of a crime may appeal his/her case to a higher court if they feel that there was a legal error in their trial.

Hire an Experienced Columbus Criminal Lawyer

Fortunately, the Law Offices of Eric J. Hoffman have extensive experience with defending clients in the state of Ohio and are regarded by peers and clients as a distinguished specialist in the field. Mr. Hoffman has 34 years of experience defending clients in the Ohio courts and is well versed in a multitude of defenses. 

Call Mr. Hoffman Now for a free consultation!