Foundations

Criminal Procedure Flow

A simplified criminal-procedure sequence with jurisdiction and practice caveats.

Structured Visual

Jurisdiction: US; as of 2026-06-24; not legal advice; Code encodes a stated structural model, not the law itself. RENDER STRUCTURE · REFUSE INTERPRETATION · CITE · ABSTAIN · HAND-OFF.

RENDER STRUCTURE · REFUSE INTERPRETATION · CITE · ABSTAIN · HAND-OFF: render structure, refuse interpretation, cite provenance, abstain when unsupported, and hand off to human review.

Simplified criminal case pathSimplified criminal case pathscope: US | Common criminal procedure pattern | as of 2026-06-24Simplified standard model; jurisdictions vary; not legal advice; this models a process, notthe law itself.InvestigationChargingInitial appearanceArraignmentMotionsPlea decisionTrialVerdictCase endsSentencingAppeal pathedge=start->charge label=referedge=charge->appearance label=nextedge=appearance->arraignment label=nextedge=arraignment->motions label=nextedge=motions->plea label=nextedge=plea->sentence label=pleaedge=plea->trial label=trialedge=trial->verdict label=verdictedge=verdict->sentence label=guiltyedge=verdict->acquittal label=not guiltyedge=sentence->appeal label=reviewSCC: scc10:start; scc9:charge; scc8:appearance; scc7:arraignment; scc6:motions; scc5:plea; scc4:trial;scc3:verdict; scc0:acquittal; scc2:sentence; scc1:appeal
highlighted = computed this step

Foundations honesty note

Honesty note: simplified standard model; jurisdiction US; as of 2026-06-24; jurisdictions vary; not legal advice; the chart models a process description, not the law itself.

US model as of 2026−06−24\text{US model as of }2026-06-24

Criminal procedure is a process map

This lesson uses a simplified criminal procedure map. State and federal systems differ, and the map does not imply any result.

simplified criminal process\text{simplified criminal process}

Example stage data

The toy path starts at investigation, then charge, arraignment, pretrial motion practice, trial, verdict, sentencing, and appeal labels.

stage labels only\text{stage labels only}

The verdict branch has a safeguard

The not-guilty branch terminates at case ends in this diagram. The guilty branch is a process label that points to sentencing; it is not a prediction.

not guilty branch terminates\text{not guilty branch terminates}

The diagram governs the route

The simplified criminal flow has 11 stages and 2 decision gates.

stages=11,decisions=2\text{stages}=11,\quad \text{decisions}=2

Diagram note

The chart is a procedure vocabulary map. It does not imply any verdict, sentence, or appeal outcome.

criminal process labels only\text{criminal process labels only}

Jurisdiction: US; as of 2026-06-24; not legal advice; Code encodes a stated structural model, not the law itself. RENDER STRUCTURE · REFUSE INTERPRETATION · CITE · ABSTAIN · HAND-OFF.

RENDER STRUCTURE · REFUSE INTERPRETATION · CITE · ABSTAIN · HAND-OFF: render structure, refuse interpretation, cite provenance, abstain when unsupported, and hand off to human review.

Simplified criminal case pathSimplified criminal case pathscope: US | Common criminal procedure pattern | as of 2026-06-24Simplified standard model; jurisdictions vary; not legal advice; this models a process, notthe law itself.InvestigationChargingInitial appearanceArraignmentMotionsPlea decisionTrialVerdictCase endsSentencingAppeal pathedge=start->charge label=referedge=charge->appearance label=nextedge=appearance->arraignment label=nextedge=arraignment->motions label=nextedge=motions->plea label=nextedge=plea->sentence label=pleaedge=plea->trial label=trialedge=trial->verdict label=verdictedge=verdict->sentence label=guiltyedge=verdict->acquittal label=not guiltyedge=sentence->appeal label=reviewSCC: scc10:start; scc9:charge; scc8:appearance; scc7:arraignment; scc6:motions; scc5:plea; scc4:trial;scc3:verdict; scc0:acquittal; scc2:sentence; scc1:appeal

Narrow summary

Read each node as a process label and each branch as a route label, not as a factual or legal finding.

route labels not findings\text{route labels not findings}