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Yes, but that typically does not happen if you have complied with your bond conditions. There are many ways to violate bond conditions, such as being arrested for a new crime or leaving the state of Michigan without prior court permission. Speak to your criminal defense attorney to make sure you understand your bond conditions and to get help if you are accused of violating them.

If you suspect you might have a warrant that could result in immediate arrest, the safest option is to contact a lawyer. They can look up any outstanding warrants for you. You can also contact the District Court clerk in the city where the crime was allegedly committed. Be aware that if you have any outstanding warrants and come into contact with law enforcement, you may be taken into custody on those warrants.

The grand jury process is used to charge defendants with federal (and in rare cases, state) crimes. The purpose of a grand jury proceeding is for the government to produce enough evidence to prove probable cause for the grand jury to return an indictment against a defendant.

A grand jury is a group of randomly selected jurors who appear in court for several months to hear evidence from many different cases, involving many different defendants. No judge presides over grand jury proceedings and they are not open to the public.  A defendant does not have a right to be present or have his attorney present at the grand jury proceedings.

Witnesses are subpoenaed to appear in federal court and give testimony in front of a grand jury.  The transcripts of the grand jury proceedings are kept private, except in limited circumstances, such as if a grand jury witness testifies at trial against the defendant.

The decision to plead guilty depends on the facts of your case, and should be made only after consultation with an experienced criminal defense attorney. Your attorney can advise you of all your options and alternatives to pleading guilty, such as going to trial, seeking a dismissal of charges, pleading guilty to a lesser charge, or filing a motion to suppress evidence against you.

After the arraignment on a Michigan felony case, the case proceeds to a probable cause conference and then to a preliminary examination. If probable cause exists after the preliminary examination, the case is “bound over” from the District Court to the Circuit Court for trial.

After the arraignment on a misdemeanor case, the case proceeds to a pretrial conference and then to trial. Misdemeanor cases stay in the District Court.

After the arraignment on a federal case, the case proceeds to the Federal District Court judge for trial.

You must submit to a physical pat-down search and some of your property may be seized by police. If taken to jail, you will undergo a more thorough search as part of the booking process. Police are not required to “read you your rights” unless you are in custody and they are questioning you.

Any statement you make to the police, even if it is not made in response to police questioning, can be used against you in court. You have a right to an attorney and should refuse to answer any questions without your attorney present.

A bond hearing in Michigan is a court proceeding at which a judge decides whether someone accused of a crime can be released from custody and under what conditions. This hearing usually takes place shortly after arrest, but may be later. The amount of bond (often called “bail”) depends on factors such as the severity of the offense, criminal history of the accused, flight risk, public safety risk, and other factors. Having a defense attorney at this hearing can improve the likelihood of bond being granted and may help reduce the amount of bond.

A bench trial is a trial where only the judge decides the facts and determines if the accused is guilty or innocent. A bench trial can only occur if the defendant and the prosecutor both waive the right to a jury trial.

A person should never waive his or her right to a jury trial unless he or she has consulted with his or her attorney and has identified a valid, strategic reason to waive a jury trial. A bench trial is essentially a jury of one. This means that the prosecutor only has to convince one person that a defendant is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.