Before you can be put through the ordeal of having a felony trial a judge, or a grand jury, has to pass on the possible merits of the case.Just being indicted for a felony is very damaging so you have this protection.However you have probably heard the saying u201cA grand jury will indict a ham sandwich.u201d This is sort of true also for a preliminary hearing (which is an alternative to a grand jury in California).I have seen judges throw cases out at a preliminary hearing. Itu2019s usually not done based on the credibility of witnesses. And example is where is the DA charged my client with assault with a deadly weapon, but all she had done was break out the back window of her neighbors SUV which the neighbor was driving. She did this because they were having a feud.The judge said that was not assault with a deadly weapon even if true and dismissed the case.To answer the question: the odds are very great that a person will be held over to answer at a felony trial if a preliminary hearing is actually held.