Not Guilty Plea
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So he has pled not guilty. It now goes to Crown to be re-pled and then to trial due to complicated circumstances...
Does anyone have any experience of someone pleading not guilty and can advise on what happens now?
Does anyone have any experience of someone pleading not guilty and can advise on what happens now?
Hey Concerned,
We have plead not guilty at both magistrates and crown and are now awaiting trial. I think it was in like March we went to crown - I can't remember it seems like ages ago! Basically now we are awaiting making a defence statement (which should've been done a while ago but solicitor got an extension) and you basically just wait months and months for a trial date! In this time the cases along with the defence statement will be reviewed periodically by the CPS. Have a look on the CPS website for info on a defence statement so that when your solicitor does yours you can make sure that you are happy everything has been included. Once the defence statement has been submitted I will be contacting the CPS to chase up reviewing the case and telling them how damaging the waiting is - probably not recommended but I don't care I'm sick of it.
We have plead not guilty at both magistrates and crown and are now awaiting trial. I think it was in like March we went to crown - I can't remember it seems like ages ago! Basically now we are awaiting making a defence statement (which should've been done a while ago but solicitor got an extension) and you basically just wait months and months for a trial date! In this time the cases along with the defence statement will be reviewed periodically by the CPS. Have a look on the CPS website for info on a defence statement so that when your solicitor does yours you can make sure that you are happy everything has been included. Once the defence statement has been submitted I will be contacting the CPS to chase up reviewing the case and telling them how damaging the waiting is - probably not recommended but I don't care I'm sick of it.
BaffledB thank you for replying.
Was the plea at crown a repeat of the one in magistrates? I'm wondering if anything more will be said. The crown court for pleading in this case is in a different place to the magistrates court.
Typically CPS webpage isn't loading at the moment but will definitely check it out once it decides to work!
Solicitor has said it could take up to a year to get a date for trial at the Crown court. Does that sound right? If CPS are reviewing regularly does that mean they could change their minds?
How soon after plea should the defence statement be issued? Did you get full evidence pack soon after the plea? At the moment we still only have the Limited information one from magistrates plea.
Can I ask which part of the country you're in? Just wondering if timescales will be similar.obviously you do not have to answer that.
I hope you aren't waiting too much longer for a date for the trial! I find the waiting is the worst. Just waiting and wondering. The mind goes to bad places
Was the plea at crown a repeat of the one in magistrates? I'm wondering if anything more will be said. The crown court for pleading in this case is in a different place to the magistrates court.
Typically CPS webpage isn't loading at the moment but will definitely check it out once it decides to work!
Solicitor has said it could take up to a year to get a date for trial at the Crown court. Does that sound right? If CPS are reviewing regularly does that mean they could change their minds?
How soon after plea should the defence statement be issued? Did you get full evidence pack soon after the plea? At the moment we still only have the Limited information one from magistrates plea.
Can I ask which part of the country you're in? Just wondering if timescales will be similar.obviously you do not have to answer that.
I hope you aren't waiting too much longer for a date for the trial! I find the waiting is the worst. Just waiting and wondering. The mind goes to bad places
You're welcome!
Yes, it was to admit another plea as sometimes people change their plea once it goes to Crown. I know there were some talks from the judge being annoyed at the prosecution for not having much evidence and they were given a timeframe to provide it by. To be honest the solicitors have really gone downhill with responses so we're not sure what the hell is going on with that and also the defence statement, we've rang twice this week and heard nothing back!!
Yes that's about right - not sure if it's a good thing or a bad thing because yes regular reviews mean a chance of it (although small) being dropped and it was the solicitor who told me that because I was begging her to go to the CPS and try and get it all squashed now.
I think it's roughly about a month after the plea but not 100% as our delays have fogged the original timescales but hopefully when the CPS website is back it will clarify that for you. We will only get the full evidence after the defence statement has been submitted we were told.
I'm in the North West. Thank you, you too! I'm torn between wanting it to hurry up and get to trial and not wanting it to happen at all but at the same time the limbo is unbearable. I do think if it went to court we have a very good case but you just never know. Hope this helps and u get a good outcome very soon xx
Edit - took me a while to type this inbetween making tea and just seen Lee's response - we were told about a years wait but I can imagine it will be much longer :(
Yes, it was to admit another plea as sometimes people change their plea once it goes to Crown. I know there were some talks from the judge being annoyed at the prosecution for not having much evidence and they were given a timeframe to provide it by. To be honest the solicitors have really gone downhill with responses so we're not sure what the hell is going on with that and also the defence statement, we've rang twice this week and heard nothing back!!
Yes that's about right - not sure if it's a good thing or a bad thing because yes regular reviews mean a chance of it (although small) being dropped and it was the solicitor who told me that because I was begging her to go to the CPS and try and get it all squashed now.
I think it's roughly about a month after the plea but not 100% as our delays have fogged the original timescales but hopefully when the CPS website is back it will clarify that for you. We will only get the full evidence after the defence statement has been submitted we were told.
I'm in the North West. Thank you, you too! I'm torn between wanting it to hurry up and get to trial and not wanting it to happen at all but at the same time the limbo is unbearable. I do think if it went to court we have a very good case but you just never know. Hope this helps and u get a good outcome very soon xx
Edit - took me a while to type this inbetween making tea and just seen Lee's response - we were told about a years wait but I can imagine it will be much longer :(
Lee1969, what are the 4 stages of trial? I thought he'd plea at Crown and then the trial will happen and he would be sentenced same day? Is that TV foolery?
The solicitor may well explain it all to him but I get all the information second hand and he is VERY selective about what he tells me. I think he is under the impression I won't hear everything when it all comes out in court and he can keep it all quiet?!
BaffledB, we are south east, not sure what timescales will be here, the police webpage said ona verage cases took 75 weeks to reach an outcome but those statistics were from 2019 so pre covid. Sigh!. i will look at CPS website about the defence statement, I find it really frustrating being left out of the conversations so the research into the different things that need to be done is so helpful.
I understand what you mean, it suddenly feels really real once these things start coming. I am hoping for a quick process so it can all just be done. The limbo is horrible.
Fingers crossed for you x
The solicitor may well explain it all to him but I get all the information second hand and he is VERY selective about what he tells me. I think he is under the impression I won't hear everything when it all comes out in court and he can keep it all quiet?!
BaffledB, we are south east, not sure what timescales will be here, the police webpage said ona verage cases took 75 weeks to reach an outcome but those statistics were from 2019 so pre covid. Sigh!. i will look at CPS website about the defence statement, I find it really frustrating being left out of the conversations so the research into the different things that need to be done is so helpful.
I understand what you mean, it suddenly feels really real once these things start coming. I am hoping for a quick process so it can all just be done. The limbo is horrible.
Fingers crossed for you x
Thank you Lee! That is really helpful information. You really are an incredible font of knowledge. I know you've suffered horribly to obtain it but it is a huge help to the rest of us xx