What is a supervening indictment in Arizona?

A supervening indictment means that you won’t have the benefit of a preliminary hearing. In a preliminary hearing a judge hears both sides and if probable cause is found the judge will rule that you must stand trial in Superior Court. If probable cause isn’t met the charge will be dismissed.

What is the difference between an indictment and a superseding indictment?

A superseding indictment is just like any other indictment, and it must be obtained the same way as the original indictment—through a grand jury. The superseding indictment can include different charges, new charges, or add new defendants.

What does dismissed due to grand jury indictment mean in Arizona?

The phrase means the prosecution is presenting its case in secret to a grand jury, which will decide if enough evidence exists to charge you with a crime, instead of using the preliminary hearing procedure.

What is another term for an indictment returned by a grand jury?

The Indictment is called a True Bill. If the grand jury does not find sufficient probable cause, it returns a No Bill.

What does superseding indictment process mean?

A superseding indictment is an indictment that has added charges and/or defendants to an earlier indictment.

Does a superseding indictment restart the speedy trial clock?

New charges added by a superseding indictment do not reset the speedy trial timetable for offenses either charged in the oriniginal indictment or required under double jeopardy principles to be joined with such charges.

How does a grand jury work in Arizona?

In Arizona, a grand jury is a group of between 9 and 16 people. Their job is to review potential criminal charges that the prosecutor wants to file, and screen out any that are not supported by probable cause. Grand jurors can be nearly any member of the public. They do not need to have a legal background.