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How a criminal case works, stage by stage. Guides cover the process regardless of the charge; what a specific offense means in your state lives on that offense's page.

The court processEvery stage from first appearance through disposition, and what each one decides.Evidence and defensesHow evidence is gathered, tested, and challenged, and the defenses recognized in criminal cases.SentencingHow statutory ranges, guidelines, and judicial discretion interact at sentencing.Records and expungementWhat a criminal record contains, and the mechanisms for sealing, expunging, and restoring rights.The DUI processThe parallel criminal and license tracks a DUI charge sets in motion.