committal hearing

Meaning

1. 1nouncountablelegallaw

   a preliminary court hearing where a judge decides if there is enough evidence to send a serious criminal case to trial

   Grammar: Countable: say 'a committal hearing' or 'committal hearings'. It is a formal legal term and usually appears in news reports or legal documents.

   Patterns

   • hold a committal hearing
   • at a committal hearing
   • waive a committal hearing

   The magistrate scheduled a committal hearing to determine whether the case should go to trial.

   At the committal hearing, the prosecution presented witness statements and phone records.

   His lawyer advised him to waive the committal hearing and go straight to trial.

Word forms

Common combinations

hold a committal hearing

The court will hold a committal hearing next month to review the evidence.

at a committal hearing

The key witness gave evidence at a committal hearing last week.

waive a committal hearing

The defendant chose to waive a committal hearing, so the case went directly to the higher court.

committal hearing date

The judge set a committal hearing date for early September.

Synonyms and how they differ

preliminary hearing

The more common term in US legal contexts; it covers a similar early stage where a judge reviews whether there is enough evidence.

preliminary inquiry

A broader term for the initial investigation stage before a trial; it can include more than just the court hearing.

Word family

commit verb

To send someone to trial or prison; the root of 'committal'.

committal noun

The act of sending someone to trial or to a mental institution; used in the phrase 'committal hearing'.

Commonly confused: committal hearing or commitment hearing?

Practice

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