Therefore the jury is instructed that the accused should be found guilty only if there is proof beyond a reasonable doubt that the accused committed the crime. If there is not such proof, then the accused must be found Not Guilty. Defense lawyers are principally concerned with what the evidence and potential evidence in the case is. It is the job of the attorney representing an accused to examine and test the evidence to see whether it holds up under examination. A felony is a serious crime, one which is punishable by prison, or a fine or both.
Persons convicted of a felony lose several important rights and privileges.
A misdemeanor is a less serious crime, punishable by time in the county jail. How a criminal case gets to court Law enforcement agencies investigate claims that a crime has occurred. The officers are responsible for gathering facts. They report these facts to the district attorney. The district attorney is the lawyer in charge of enforcing the state criminal laws.