Final answer:
Serious criminal charges at the municipal level start with an arraignment, followed by potential hearings for evidence admissibility, and possible jury selection if no plea bargain is reached. These procedures ensure the due process rights of the accused are upheld before a full trial takes place.
Step-by-step explanation:
In cases involving serious criminal charges at the municipal level, several steps occur. Initially, the accused will have a hearing before a judge, known as an arraignment, where they are informed of their charges and enter a plea. Subsequent hearings may tackle the admissibility of evidence. Should there be insufficient evidence for a grand jury indictment, states may conduct a preliminary hearing led by a judge to determine if there's enough evidence for a full trial.
During this process, if the accused does not agree to a plea bargain, jury selection occurs where prospective jurors are chosen for impartiality. The selected jury will then be responsible for ascertaining the defendant's guilt or innocence, unless the case involves exceptions permitting trial without a grand jury, as sometimes occurs in felony charges at the state level. Cases may also escalate to the state or federal courts if certain constitutional rights or federal laws are invoked in the criminal matter.