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Criminal charges
You've been charged. Read the document before you panic.
Being criminally charged is one of the most stressful documents anyone receives. Attorly reads the charging paperwork, identifies what you're actually accused of, and explains your immediate rights — before your first court date.
Upload your charging documentNot legal advice: This page explains, in plain language, how a legal document typically works. It is general information — not legal advice about your specific situation. If the stakes are meaningful, or a deadline is close, speak with a licensed lawyer before relying on anything you read here.
What being charged actually means
A criminal charge is a formal accusation by the state — not a conviction, not a determination of guilt, and not a verdict. It says one thing: a prosecutor believes there is enough evidence to bring your conduct in front of a court. The court has not yet decided anything about you.
Two rights apply in nearly every jurisdiction the moment charges are filed: the right to remain silent and the right to legal counsel. These exist precisely because the early hours after charges are when most damage is done — by speaking to investigators without a lawyer, by signing documents under pressure, by making decisions about plea or release without understanding what they mean.
Charging documents are written in formal procedural language. The same density that makes them legally precise is what makes them hard to act on under stress. Attorly reads the document, lists the exact charges (with their statutory references where included), surfaces your first court date, and explains — in plain language — what your immediate options are. It is not a substitute for a defense lawyer. It is the briefing you need before you call one.
How it works
Get clarity on any legal document in three steps
Step 1
Upload your document
Drag in a PDF, Word file, or image scan. Any format, any language.
Step 2
Attorly analyzes it
Multiple AI models review your document independently — flagging risks, extracting deadlines, and identifying obligations and key terms. Independent review means nothing gets missed.
Step 3
Know exactly what to do
More than a summary — Attorly gives you a clear action plan: what matters, what to do about it, and in what order. Handle it yourself or bring a lawyer in fully prepared.
What Attorly finds in a charging document
We pull out the facts that determine your immediate options.
The exact offences alleged
Attorly lists every count, with the statutory reference where the document includes one, so you know what you're actually accused of — not what the news called it.
Your first court date
Initial appearance, arraignment, or first hearing — the date the document sets is the one that matters. Missing it usually escalates the case automatically.
Statutory penalty range
Each charge carries a range — minimum, maximum, mandatory minimums where they apply. Attorly extracts the range from the statute references so you understand the actual exposure, not the worst-case headline.
Court and jurisdiction
Which court the case is filed in and what its rules are. This determines which procedural rules apply.
Whether the document calls you to appear in person
Some charging documents are summonses (you appear on a date); others follow arrest. The distinction changes what you do next.
Release or bail conditions, if any
Conditions can include travel restrictions, contact prohibitions, or curfew. Violating them creates a separate offence on top of the original charge.
Identified prosecutor and case number
Your defense lawyer needs both. Attorly extracts them so you have the case identifier ready when you call legal aid or private counsel.
What to do right now
If you've just been charged, work through this list in order.
- 1
Upload to Attorly — know what you're facing
Before you talk to anyone — including the prosecutor — start here. Upload the charging document and get a plain-language breakdown: the exact offences alleged, the statutory range of penalties, your first court date, and the immediate decisions you need to make.
- 2
Exercise your right to remain silent
In nearly every jurisdiction, anything you say to investigators after charges are filed can be used against you in court. The single most common mistake at this stage is "explaining yourself" before you have a lawyer. Stay silent until you have one.
- 3
Engage a defense lawyer before your first appearance
A first appearance is where bail/release conditions, plea, and counsel are formally entered. Showing up without counsel is legally permitted in most jurisdictions but rarely advisable. Public-defender or legal-aid systems exist in most jurisdictions if you cannot afford private counsel.
- 4
Preserve evidence and stop deleting anything relevant
Texts, emails, photos, location history, social-media posts, receipts — anything connected to the alleged events must be preserved. Deleting potentially relevant records after charges are filed can create separate obstruction-of-justice exposure.
- 5
Decide nothing about plea or release without counsel
Early plea offers, release conditions, and waivers are real legal commitments. The pressure to "just sign and go home" is high; the consequences are long-lasting. Wait for counsel.
Common questions about criminal charges
Read the charges before your first appearance
Upload the document and get a plain-language breakdown — what you're accused of, your rights, and your immediate options.
Analyze my charging document