Faqs

If you can make a bond (money to secure your release), then you will be released from jail, but only if you have no other holds. A hold is a detainer placed on you by another governmental agency which requires you be held pending clearance of the hold. If you cannot make a bond (or do not qualify for pretrial release), then you will remain in jail while your case is pending or until your attorney can present a bond motion to the Court.

In many courts, if you have been able to make a bond you will be expected to hire an attorney to represent you. After your release, some jurisdictions will require you to attend an arraignment hearing. At the arraignment, the Judge will inform you of your right to have an attorney, the nature of your charge/s and the possible punishment you could receive if found guilty. The Judge will then set your case for a trial if you are charged with a misdemeanor or a preliminary hearing if you are charged with a felony.

A preliminary hearing in Virginia is a hearing that is held in the General District Court or the Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court when a person is accused of a felony. The preliminary hearing determines whether probable cause exists for bringing the defendant to trial. This hearing consists of witness testimony and presentation of evidence. The defendant has the opportunity to challenge the evidence presented by the prosecution through cross examination of the prosecution’s witnesses, and by calling their own witnesses and presentation of evidence. Very rarely does a defendant call witnesses or present evidence on his/her behalf.

On your court date, you should go directly to your assigned courtroom. Each court posts a docket which lists the name of each defendant who has a court hearing on that day and their assigned courtroom. You must be in court on the day and time instructed or the court may forfeit your bond and issue a warrant for your arrest. (Bond forfeiture means that you lose the money that you have posted as a guarantee to the court that you would appear on the setting date.)

One of the first questions most clients have when facing criminal charges is how much their defense will cost. The answer depends on the circumstances of your case and the quality of the defense team. Usually, an attorney will be able to quote you a fee after an initial consultation. At The Leiva Law Firm we recognize the rising costs associated with bringing a case to trial. As such, we will discuss our payment options with you and give you our fee upfront so that you know what the costs of your defense will be.

No. The prosecutor decides whether to drop the charge/s. In a domestic violence case, it is the Commonwealth of Virginia against the offending party and the State of Virginia, through its prosecutors, decide how the charges will be dealt with. Of course, an experienced defense attorney can impact how a particular case will be handled.

At first, this sounds like a good idea. However, the number of ex-prosecutors that are now defense attorneys is extremely high in Northern Virginia. Therefore, you gain no advantage by hiring a former prosecutor. The prosecutor assigned to your case will not treat you favorably simply because you hired a former prosecutor to represent you.