Louisiana Code of Criminal Procedure 538 – Effect of sustaining motion to quash
Current as of: 2023 | Check for updates
|
Other versions
Terms Used In Louisiana Code of Criminal Procedure 538
- Bail: Security given for the release of a criminal defendant or witness from legal custody (usually in the form of money) to secure his/her appearance on the day and time appointed.
- Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
- Indictment: The formal charge issued by a grand jury stating that there is enough evidence that the defendant committed the crime to justify having a trial; it is used primarily for felonies.
- Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
- Statute: A law passed by a legislature.
- Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.
The court shall order the defendant discharged from custody or bail, as to that charge, when it sustains a motion to quash based upon the ground that:
(1) The offense is not punishable under a valid statute;
(2) Trial for the offense charged would constitute double jeopardy;
(3) The time limitation for the institution of prosecution or for the commencement of trial has expired; or
(4) The court has no jurisdiction of the offense charged.
In other cases, when a motion to quash is sustained, the court may order that the defendant be held in custody or that his bail be continued for a specified time, pending the filing of a new indictment.