Preliminary Hearing Legal Meaning and Definition

Here is a simplified definition of the legal term Preliminary Hearing.

Preliminary Hearing (noun)

A preliminary hearing is an initial proceeding in criminal law cases where a judicial officer examines whether there is enough evidence or reasonable cause to believe that the defendant committed a crime within the court's jurisdiction. This hearing aids in deciding if the case should be taken forward to trial. It's common for the accused defendant to be represented by a lawyer during this hearing.