If I was served papers for a hearing, does this mean charges were pressed against me?
Get Legal Help Today
Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
If I was served papers for a hearing, does this mean charges were pressed against me?
I was served papers for a hearing but told charged were not pressed. Were charges pressed against
me?
Asked on August 21, 2017 under Criminal Law, West Virginia
Answers:
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 7 years ago | Contributor
What do the papers say?
If it is a summons for you, then charges were pressed: a summons is the legal paper that deals a defendant that there are charges pending against him or her, and advises him or her of the court date.
If it is a subpoena, or just a notice to appear to testify, you are a witness: you are not charged, but must appear, on pain of punishment, for the trial or hearing to testify.
So what is the document called: is it a summons? or does it say it is a subpoena?
And what is the name of the case? The first part of the name should be "State v." or "State vs."--i.e. the state (the authorities) is bringing charges against someone. Who is that someone? Is the name after the "v" or "vs" your name (charges against you) or some other name (so you are a witness)?
IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Answer(s) provided above are for general information only. The attorney providing the answer was not serving as the attorney for the person submitting the question or in any attorney-client relationship with such person. Laws may vary from state to state, and sometimes change. Tiny variations in the facts, or a fact not set forth in a question, often can change a legal outcome or an attorney's conclusion. Although AttorneyPages.com has verified the attorney was admitted to practice law in at least one jurisdiction, he or she may not be authorized to practice law in the jurisdiction referred to in the question, nor is he or she necessarily experienced in the area of the law involved. Unlike the information in the Answer(s) above, upon which you should NOT rely, for personal advice you can rely upon we suggest you retain an attorney to represent you.