Preliminary hearing

A preliminary hearing is a kind of court hearing. In those hearings, the judge decides if there is enough evidence, for the case to go to trial. These hearings are sometimes called probable cause hearings.

In the U.S., two factors courts have to look for when finding probable cause is whether the crime happened – and that it happened in the jurisdiction the hearing is being held in, and whether there is enough evidence that the defendant committed the crime. If the court finds there is probable cause, the defendant will go to trial. If they do not find probable cause, the charges may be dismissed or reduced, and the court may refile. Some jurisdictions don't hold probable cause hearings or don't require them.