First, how long will it take for a criminal case to be pronounced?
Criminal cases are usually pronounced within two months, not more than three months at the latest, and special cases can be extended by six months according to the actual situation.
According to Article 202 of the Criminal Procedure Law, when trying a case of public prosecution, the people's court shall pronounce a judgment within two months after accepting it, and no later than three months. For cases that may be sentenced to death or cases with incidental civil actions.
Article 156 With the approval of the people's court at the next higher level, it may be extended for three months. Due to special circumstances need to be extended, it shall be submitted to the Supreme People's Court for approval.
Second, the trial procedure of criminal cases
According to the provisions of the Criminal Procedure Law, general criminal cases generally go through three stages, namely, investigation stage (public security organs), examination and prosecution stage (people's procuratorate) and trial stage (people's court).
(1) investigation stage
The public security organ may impose criminal detention on an active criminal or a major suspect. Detainees should be questioned within 24 hours after detention. A criminal suspect may hire a lawyer to provide him with legal advice, complaints and accusations after the first interrogation by the investigation organ or from the day when compulsory measures are taken. The entrusted lawyer has the right to know the charges charged by the criminal suspect from the investigation organ, and can meet the criminal suspect in custody and get information from the criminal suspect.
(2), review and prosecution stage
When examining a case, the people's procuratorate shall interrogate the criminal suspect and listen to the opinions of the victim, the criminal suspect and the person entrusted by the victim. The criminal suspect has the right to entrust a defender from the date when the case is transferred for examination and prosecution. The defendant in a case of private prosecution has the right to entrust a defender at any time.
The people's procuratorate shall, within three days from the date of receiving the case materials transferred for examination and prosecution, inform the criminal suspect that he has the right to entrust a defender. The people's court shall, within three days from the date of accepting a case of private prosecution, inform the defendant that he has the right to entrust a defender. Defense lawyers may consult, extract and copy the litigation documents and technical appraisal materials of this case from the date when the people's procuratorate examines and prosecutes the case, and may meet and correspond with the criminal suspect in custody.
The people's procuratorate shall make a decision on the case transferred for prosecution by the public security organ within one month, and the major and complicated cases may be extended by half a month.
If the people's procuratorate believes that the criminal facts of the criminal suspect have been ascertained and the evidence is true and sufficient, and criminal responsibility should be investigated according to law, it shall make a decision to prosecute and file a public prosecution with the people's court in accordance with the provisions on trial jurisdiction.
(3) the trial stage
After the people's court has examined the case in which a public prosecution was initiated, if the facts of the crime alleged in the indictment are clear, and a list of evidence, a list of witnesses and copies or photos of the main evidence are attached, it shall decide to hold a hearing. Except for cases involving state secrets or personal privacy, the people's courts try cases of first instance in public.
Since the people's court accepted the case, the defense lawyer can consult, extract and copy the materials of the alleged criminal facts in this case, and can meet and correspond with the defendant in custody. At the trial, the defense lawyer defended the defendant.
(1). If the facts of the case are clear, the evidence is true and sufficient, and the defendant is found guilty according to law, a guilty verdict shall be made;
(2) If the defendant is found innocent according to law, a verdict of innocence shall be made;
In criminal cases, the verdict is usually 2-3 months after the trial. If there is a major and difficult case, the court needs to discuss it with the judicial committee and obtain the approval of the president of the court of first instance before it can extend the time. The extension period is 6 months. If an extremely special case needs further extension, it needs the approval of the Supreme Court before it can be extended.