PEOPLE INVOLVED IN A CRIMINAL CASE
The people involved in a criminal case include:
- Defendant – Person accused of committing a crime.
- District Attorney – Lawyer who brings charges against a defendant, decides what plea bargains to offer, and represents the State of Colorado in cases involving state statutes.
- City Attorney – Lawyer who brings charges against a defendant, decides what plea bargains to offer, and represents the City and County of Denver in cases involving municipal ordinances and less serious state statutes.
- Judge – Neutral party who makes rulings on issues of law, decides guilt or innocence of the accused during court trials; decides what sentence to be imposed, and presides over jury trials.
- Jury – Citizens from the community who are chosen to hear the evidence in a case and decide on the guilt or innocence of the accused. In the case of a misdemeanor, 6 persons sit on the jury. In municipal ordinance violations, 3 to 6 persons sit on a jury.
- Magistrate – Neutral party who makes rulings on issues of law, decides guilt or innocence of the accused during court trials, and decides what sentence to be imposed.
- Public Defender – Lawyer for the indigent defendant who represents the defendant in all phases of his/her criminal case. Public Defenders are appointed only when the defendant has been declared indigent and has qualified for free representation.
- Alternate Defense Counsel – Lawyer for the indigent defendant who represents the defendant in all phases of his/her criminal case when there is a conflict with the Public Defender representation. Alternate Defense Counsel is appointed only when the defendant has been declared indigent, has qualified for free representation and a conflict of interest with Public Defender representation has been found by the Judge.
- Private Counsel – An attorney for the defendant who is chosen by the defendant to represent him/her in the criminal matter. Private counsel representation is paid for by the defendant.
- Interpreter – Neutral party who interprets for the defendant in order to facilitate communication between the defendant and the attorney. The interpreter also performs this job in the courtroom so the defendant can understand everything that is said during the proceedings in his/her case. Interpreters are also provided for witnesses and victims who do not speak English.