BHughes
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- Joined
- Feb 25, 2020
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Prosecutorial and judicial efficiency. The most serious crime is often investigated and prosecuted first. The major crime prosecution team may find that the minor crime investigation is interfering with their process. Too many cooks in the kitchen. If you arrest someone on a minor crime, they're entitled to an attorney and you may not want the person represented by counsel while you are still investigating a more serious issue. Once you are charged it starts a whole process of discovery that is controlled by the court and the DA (or state or federal prosecutor) takes over.
You do sometimes see people charged with a lesser crime first (like Casey Anthony, Megan Boswell) but it is rare. It usually means they do not have sufficient evidence or a grand jury only returned charges on the lesser crime.
Thank you for this info!!! Answered many of my questions and makes the order of the charges more understandable!!!