Felonies

If you have been charged with a felony, please view the Michigan.gov website to access available Criminal Felony Forms.

If you have committed a Felony in Redford your case will initiate at the 17th District Court, where a judge will determine if there is enough evidence to bind the case over to the 3rd Circuit Court. The court will schedule you for one of the following Hearings:

Arraignment: At an arraignment the Judge advises the defendant of the charges, the penalty and explains both constitutional and statutory rights. At the arraignment, the judge will enter a plea of not guilty on behalf of the defendant. The Judge will then schedule a date for a Probable Cause Conference (PCC) and a Preliminary Examination.

The Probable Cause Conference (PCC) must be scheduled between seven and fourteen days (14) days after the arraignment date.

The Preliminary Examination date must be scheduled between five and seven days after the PCC.

Probable Cause Conference: The Probable Cause Conference allows the Prosecutor and Defense Attorney to discuss their case. The scheduling gives the defense attorney ample time for discovery. In some cases, if all parties reach an agreement the case can be bound over to circuit court or a plea deal can be entered.

The Probable Cause Conference can be waived if all parties agree on the record to waive the hearing.

Preliminary Examination: A Preliminary Exam is set for the purpose of determining whether or not there is enough evidence to proceed with the charges. The prosecutor has to show that there is probable cause that a crime has been committed and that the defendant committed that crime.

If a defendant chooses not to waive their right to a Preliminary Exam then the case goes to a hearing and testimony will be taken. Witnesses are subpoenaed for this hearing and should appear at the designated time. After all testimony is finished, the Judge will determine if there is enough evidence to have the case bound over to the Circuit Court.