People of the Court
Who placed you in this program?
Judge Nan Waller
What are the 4 plea options?
-Guilty
-Not Guilty
-No Contest
-Guilty Except For Insanity (GEI)
How should you address the Judge?
Referring to them as Your Honor or The Honorable
What is the less serious class of crime? categories?
Misdemeanor: A, B, C
What 5 rights does a defendant lose if they agree to a plea bargain?
-Right to a trial
-Right to appeal
-Right to confront accusers
-Right to call witnesses in your favor
-Right to remain silent
Whose job is it to get the BEST deal?
Defense Attorney, Public Defender, or Defense Counsel (your lawyer)
What does PSRB stand for?
Psychiatric Security Review Board
How should you behave in court?
Remain quiet unless addressed directly, avoid speaking about the case, whisper to attorney if needed.
What is the most serious class of crime? What are its categories?
Felony: A, B, C
Why can only your attorney attend your Forensic Evaluation?
Because of confidentiality.
Who is the attorney who represents the state?
District Attorney (DA) or Prosecutor
What is a Forensic Evaluation?
An assessment done by a psychiatrist or psychologist to find out if an individual is able to Aid & Assist their attorney. They go over health/mental health records, family history, and substance use history.
Who should you reach out to if you need to change your court date or need to request a phone call versus an in-person appearance?
Only Correct Answer: Your attorney
please do not call/text your Aid & Assist CSS about your court appearances
If someone is charged with a Misdemeanor B & Felony B what is the maximum possible length of sentence?
10 years & 6 months
What are the 5 results of a Forensic Evaluation?
(hint: there are 3 more common results)
Able, Never Able, Unable, No Opinion, and Med Never Able
Who decides what type of trial to have?
The defendant w/ help from their attorney
Who creates a Plea Bargain? What is it?
The District Attorney will draft a plea bargain.
A deal between yourself and the DA with guidance from your attorney: the deal says if you enter a guilty-type plea, you will be offered a lower sentence or lower charges.
If you are still Unable to Aid & Assist can you proceed to trial?
No, there needs to be an evaluation opining that you are 'Able'.
If someone is sentenced to 7 years in prison, what were they charged with? (crime class: category A,B, or C)
Felony B
Who first decides whether or not they have concerns about someone's ability to Aid & Assist?
The court appointed attorney!
Who is the person who connects you to resources and supports while you are in community restoration?
Your Aid & Assist Case Manager
examples: Amber, Linda, Barry, Namon, Jesus, Trevor, Rachel and/or the community navigators
What is the plea of no contest?
Not admitting guilt, however, not fighting the charges against them. (considered a guilty type plea)
If the defendant disagrees with something in court, should they stand up and loudly say it?
No, such interruptions could be considered contempt of court.
What is worse...a consecutive sentence or a concurrent sentence? Why?
Consecutive sentence because it means the person will have to serve their time back-to-back versus at the same time.
What can someone do to avoid ending back up in the justice system?
-Take medication as prescribed
-Avoid using substances
-Remain at their placement
Etc....