Your Day in Court

If you are ever convicted of a crime and have to go to court, here are some things you need to know: Before a person accused of a crime can be brought to trial, certain steps must be taken to establish that a crime has been committed and that there is reason to believe the accused person committed it. Although the sequence of steps may vary from state to state, most follow this outline.

Steps of Criminal Procedure:

* Complaint and Arrest: After the police investigate a crime, the prosecuting attorney files a written statement (called a complaint) with the court, describing the crime and naming the suspect; if a judge
decides there is sufficient evidence, he issues an arrest warrant. Upon arrest, the suspect is informed of his rights. (If a suspect is arrested at the scene of a crime, the complaint is filed afterward.

* Booking:  At the police station, the suspect is searched, photographed, fingerprinted, allowed to contact a lawyer, and given a receipt for any personal property that is impounded. For a misdemeanor,
the suspect is usually released and assigned a date to appear in court. For a felony, he is usually jailed.

* Initial Court Appearance:  At this hearing, the judge informs the suspect of the charges and his rights as a defendant. He also decides if the suspect should be released on bail or kept in custody. If charged with a misdemeanor, the suspect can enter a plea at this time; if accused of a felony, he cannot. The suspect's next court date is set.

* Preliminary Hearing:  Some states use this hearing when a suspect is accused of a felony or arrested with a warrant for a misdemeanor. If the judge decides there is sufficient evidence to proceed, he forwards the case to a Grad Jury; if not, he releases the suspect.

* Grand Jury:  At these proceedings, the grand jury decides if there is sufficient evidence for the accused to stand trial. If it votes "yes", an indictment (a court order) is issued requiring the suspect to stand trial; if not, the suspect is released.

* Arraignment:  At this hearing, the judge reads the charges to the accused, who is again advised of his rights. The accused then enters his plea. If he pleads not guilty, a date is set for the trial.  If he pleads guilty or is allowed to plead nolo contender (no contest), he waives his right to a trial, and a date is set for sentencing.

* Venue:  Place selected where the jury will be gathered and the case tried.

* Pre-Trial Hearing:  The judge meets with the prosecuting and defense attorney and reviews the issues of the case.

* Trial:  The defendant stands trial before a jury or, if he waives that right, before a judge. Steps of the trial:  Opening statements, Presentation of evidence and testimony of witnesses, closing arguments, jury's instructions, jury deliberations and verdict.

* Verdict:  The judge or jury decides whether the defendant is "Guilty" or "Not guilty". If the verdict is "Not guilty", the defendant is released.

* Sentencing:  The judge tells the defendant what his punishment will be. He may order him to pay a fine or serve a jail term, or he may have him released under the supervision of a probation officer.

You've just read the proceedings a criminal court case here in America. But there's coming a day, when every unsaved man and woman will stand in God's Court to be judged out of Law of God (10 commandments). The Books of the Law will be opened by the Judge - God Almighty Himself. The Book of your Life that has ALL your thoughts, words, and deeds will be opened. God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil. (Ecc 12:14) The Lamb's Book of Life will be opened. Is your name written in the Lamb's book of life? There will be "Hell" to pay in that court if you are not prepared. What will your be your plea in God's courtroom, Guilty or Not Guilty? The Bible says, "it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment. So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God."

You've sinned against God so many times. You've crossed the Line, and you can't go back.  You are Guilty as Charged!  You're in big trouble with the Judge of all the Earth.  He's going to get down to the Truth concerning your entire private and public life, don't you worry.  You can fool yourself, but you're  not fooling God.  Be not deceived, God is not mocked.  You better believe judgment is coming.  You've lived and wasted the life that God gave you here on Earth.  You don't deserve to have lived here on Earth as long as you have.  You think you deserve to live, but you deserve to die for the sins you have committed against God Almighty.  The wages of sin is still Death.  Your guilty soul needs some place to hide from the wrath to come.  You have an appointment with God that you cannot escape. The subpoena of God is the Bible. God has a Complaint against you, it is the Bible.  That's the main reason you don't like to read the Bible.  The Holy Spirit and your conscience have Arrested you.

You have been booked, it is written in Heaven. Have you ever broken ever God's law? Have you ever violated your conscience? Have you ever sinned with knowledge of right and wrong? Please listen to your conscience. Have you ever lied or stolen something? If you have, that makes you a liar and a thief in the sight of God. Have you ever taken God's name in vain? Most people have. If you have, then you're a blasphemer. There is none righteous, no, not one. For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God. Have you ever looked at the opposite with lust? Then, that makes you an adulterer in heart. Jesus said, "Whosoever looketh on a woman to lust her hath committed adultery already with her in his heart." (Mt 5:28) Have you ever had sex outside marriage? That's fornication (Read I Cor 6:9-10,18; Eph 5:5) Have you always loved God will all your heart, soul, strength and mind; and put Him first in your life? Only one person ever did that perfectly: His name was Jesus Christ. Have you always loved your neighbor as yourself or have you been selfish and greedy? This is only a few of the 100's of commandments that God has commanded men to keep.

According to scripture, there are only two ways to be saved from Hell: 1) Keep the commandments of God perfectly or 2) Admit that you have broken God commandments and that you are a sinner in need of a pardon and salvation. You must repent of your sin and call upon the Lord Jesus Christ to save you. What is your plea, Guilty or Not Guilty? Please be wise, and Settle out of Court. The only way to escape the Judgment of Almighty God is to take His Son, Jesus Christ, as your Pardon and Payment for sin against God. What will you do with Jesus? If you reject Jesus and despise God's love, one day Death will arrest you, the Law of God will condemn you, and God will sentence you to Hell.

Remember that the Law of God demands absolute sinless perfection from you in order to Heaven. You have no excuse for sinning against God, because you have a conscience with of work of God's law written on it to guide you concerning right and wrong. God is "Holy and Just" and He will make sure absolute justice is done.

Being sorry for your sin or doing good works will not save you from the Judgment of God. Your good works may be commendable, but they will never deliver you from the wrath of God (Rejecting Jesus Christ is the 'worst sin' a person can commit). If you are found to be guilty (and we are all guilty), according to the Bible you will end up in Hell. All you can do is throw yourself on the MERCY of the Judge . . . and the Bible tells us that God is rich in Mercy. It is not God's will that you go to Hell. God provided a way for you to be Pardoned and Forgiven.

God SO loved you that He sent His Son to take your punishment: "God commendeth (proved) His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Then Jesus rose from the dead the third day and defeated death. If you will repent (turn away from your own righteousness and love for sinning) and trust to the Lord Jesus Christ, God will forgive you and give you everlasting life. It's as simple as this: we broke God's Law, and Jesus paid our fine. You cannot earn this Free Pardon from sin. If you repent and trust Jesus Christ's Precious Blood, you are free to leave the Courtroom - your CASE WILL BE DISMISSED! Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Ye must be born again. Please don't turn JESUS away today - Trust Him before it's too late!