People of the Court
Who placed you in this program? (community restoration)
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
Who represents a person who is accused of committing a crime and protects their rights?
Defense Attorney, Public Defender, or Defense Counsel (your lawyer)
What does PSRB stand for?
Psychiatric Security Review Board
How should you dress for court or your evaluation?
-clean clothes/nicest clothes possible
-closed toed shoes if possible
-no hat/beanie while in court room
*Also please be sure your phone is on silent/off in court and during your evaluation
What is the most serious class of crime? What are its categories?
Felony: A, B, C
Can your Forensic Evaluation be viewed by the public?
No (typically only the Judge, Attorneys, and your case manager will have access to your evaluation)
Who is the attorney who represents the state?
District Attorney (DA) or Prosecutor
What is a Forensic Evaluation?
a specialized psychological or psychiatric assessment for legal purposes, involving in-depth interviews, psychological testing, and records review to answer specific questions for courts or legal entities, addressing issues like competency, sanity, risk, or damages, and resulting in expert testimony or reports to inform legal decisions.
Should the defendant discuss facts of the case without guidance from their attorney in court?
No, they should always seek guidance from their defense counsel.
If someone is charged with a Misdemeanor A & Felony C what is the maximum possible length of sentence?
6 Years
Able, Never Able, Unable
Who is the defendant?
A person who is facing charges for an alleged crime
What is 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.
Can you go back to court without a letter from the evaluator telling the Judge you are ready?
No
If someone is sentenced to 9 years in prison, what were they charged with? (crime class: category A,B, or C)
Felony B
What is Recidivism?
re-offending by a person who has already been punished for a crime, often referring to rearrests, reconvictions, or returns to incarceration.
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 GEI plea?
Guilty except for insanity: the defendant is saying that they did the crime, but their mental illness was a significant factor in committing the crime
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 the maximum possible length of sentence for a Misdemeanor A?
1 year (in jail)
What is mental health court?
A way to resolve your charges. If someone does well during community restoration they can be recommended for Mental Health Court. Mental Health Court participants are on probation; both supervised (formal probation) and unsupervised (bench probation). As a condition of probation, defendants are offered an opportunity to participate in the Mental Health Court program. It takes a minimum of one year to complete Mental Health Court. Successful participants are often able to shorten the length of their probationary period.