All criminal cases that are to be dealt with by the court system begin in the magistrates court. Where a person is charged with a criminal offence, they will need to attend court so that the case can be dealt with. The person that attends court charged with the criminal offence is known as a defendant. When a person is charged with a crime, they can either be released on bail with certain conditions (including attending the court hearing) or held in custody for the next available court hearing.