Court Process
The Cohen Defense Group has been appointed by the court to represent you in your criminal case.
- The court will send us a copy of the complaint listing the charges against you.
- The District Attorney’s office will send us the police reports.
- The attorney assigned to your case will meet with you privately to review the charges, go over the police reports, gather information from you, and discuss your options.
Your Legal Options
You will have several choices:
- Jury Trial:
You have the right to a jury trial where the District Attorney must prove to a jury that you are guilty of the charges. - Plea Bargain:
If you don’t want to go to trial, you can enter into a plea bargain. This means admitting to one or more charges in exchange for other charges being dismissed and an agreed-upon sentence. - Diversion Program:
You may be eligible for a diversion program. This allows you to earn a dismissal of the case by meeting specific requirements set by the District Attorney or the Judge.
How Your Lawyer Will Prepare for Trial
Your attorney will take the following steps to get ready for trial:
- Investigate possible defenses by:
- interviewing you.
- reviewing police reports (including video and audio evidence).
- interviewing witnesses.
- visiting the scene of the alleged crime, etc.
- Collect “mitigation evidence” that may help reduce the charges or lessen the consequences.
- Investigate and pursue diversion options, if available.
- Negotiate with the District Attorney to get the best possible outcome through plea bargaining.
What You Should Do
- Be honest with your lawyer. Tell them everything you remember, including names and contact information of witnesses and people who might be willing to write character letters for you.
- Inform your lawyer if you are currently on probation, parole, or have other legal cases pending.
- Be on time for all court appearances. If you fail to show up, the court could issue a bench warrant for your arrest.
- If you plan to hire an attorney before your next court appearance, make sure they contact us as soon as possible.
What You Should Not Do
- Do not discuss your case with anyone before talking to your lawyer. What you tell us is confidential, but anything you say to others can be used against you in court.
Discovery Policy
We will review all police reports and relevant video and audio evidence with you in our office to ensure that it is confidential and protected by attorney-client privilege.
We do not believe it is in your best interest to release copies of police reports while your case is ongoing. This is for your protection, as police reports contain sensitive information that could:
- Be used by someone to create false testimony against you.
- Lead to accusations of tampering with or intimidating witnesses.
- Harm your reputation if shared on social media.
- Put your safety and employment opportunities at risk.
Once your case is closed and our services have ended, we will release a complete copy of your file upon request. We are required by law to remove the contact details of victims and witnesses, and the names of any minors before releasing the police reports.
Useful Forms
Community Service Proof:
https://www.nevadacountyca.gov/DocumentCenter/View/42243/7—Community-Service
Helpful Links
Nevada County Superior Court:
https://www.nevada.courts.ca.gov/
Nevada County Superior Court, Criminal and Misdemeanor Division:
https://www.nevada.courts.ca.gov/divisions/criminal-misdemeanor
Nevada County Jail Information:
https://www.nevadacountyca.gov/264/Corrections-Division
Nevada County Probation Department:
https://www.nevadacountyca.gov/617/Probation
Pay Fines and Fees Online:
https://www.nevada.courts.ca.gov/online-services/pay-fines-fees
Community Service Opportunities:
https://volunteerhub.connectingpoint.org
https://www.volunteermatch.org/search/orgs.jsp?aff=&includeOnGoing=true&r=20.0&l=Nevada+City%2C+CA+95959%2C+USA
https://californialocal.com/localnews/tahoe-truckee/ca/topic/show/service/groups
Health and Human Services Agency (Medi-Cal/healthcare, children’s services, housing and homelessness):
https://www.nevadacountyca.gov/3454/Health-Human-Services-Agency
Behavioral Health (mental health, substance abuse, crisis care):
https://www.nevadacountyca.gov/430/Behavioral-Health
Common Goals (substance abuse counseling, recovery homes, anger management and domestic violence programs):
https://commongoalsinc.org/
Granite Wellness (substance use treatment, behavioral health services):
https://www.granitewellness.org/
Community Beyond Violence (domestic violence emergency response, shelter services, advocacy, healthy relationship training):
https://cbv.org/
Tahoe Forest Behavioral Health (mental health services and resources):
https://www.tfhd.com/behavioral-health-services
Sierra Community House – Truckee, Incline Village, Kings Beach (domestic violence services, hunger relief, violence prevention education):
https://sierracommunityhouse.org/our-services/
North Tahoe-Truckee Homeless Services (day respite center, emergency warming center, housing support):
https://www.ntthomelessservices.com
Tahoe Truckee Community Foundation (crisis and mental health resources):
https://www.ttcf.net/crisis-resources/
Legal Services of Northern California (legal help with housing, health, CalWORKs, CalFresh, unemployment, etc.):
https://lsnc.net
Live Scan info and locations:
https://oag.ca.gov/fingerprints/locations
Department of Motor Vehicles (driving privilege, suspensions):
https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal