In the DeKalb Judicial Circuit, a criminal case typically begins with an arrest, at which point the District Attorney’s Office receives the case file from the arresting agency. This is followed by a secondary investigation by the DA’s Office, after which prosecutors decide whether to charge, dismiss, divert, or transfer a case based on the facts and admissible evidence. If formally charged, the case against the accused proceeds to an arraignment, followed by pre-trial motions hearings, and ultimately, a trial (if no plea or dismissal occurs).

This flow chart shows how cases move through the DeKalb County Superior Court.