It's faster to get a trial at Magistrates- it takes about 6 weeks for a trial to get to court but at Crown court it can take up to 6 months to a year.
Lower Penalties- the maximum prison sentence they can give is 6 months, which is lower than Crown Court.
Less Publicity- your trial is less likely to get media coverage.
Cheaper if you cannot get legal funding- you don't have to have legal representation at Magistrates, you can represent yourself.
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Having trial at Magistrates Disadvantages
You are more likely to be convicted- conviction rate is higher at the Magistrates than Crown Court- 60% convicted. This is due to the Magistrates being prosecutiuon bias.
You may still be sent to Crown Court for sentencing if they believe they don't have enough power to give you the correct sentence.
You may have to represent yourself- you may be at a disadvantage since you may not know the ins and outs of the law or the crime you have committed.
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Having trial at Crown Court Advantages
More likely to be acquitted at Crown Court- 15% of people are acquitted.
You serve more of your prison sentence on remand- say if you serve half your sentence on remand, the judge may say you have served and that you are free to go.
You have better legal prepresentation than Magistrates- you have to have a barrister.
You are more likely to be able to get legal aid- if you can't afford it you are more likely to get help too.
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Having trial at Crown Court Disadvantages
You have a long wait for trial- you may wait up to 6 months to a year.
There are higher costs- since you need representation via a Barrister in court, you will have to pay out more money.
Publicity- you may have more media coverage of your trial at court e.g. the local paper/news.
Greater sentences- you may have harsher sentences.
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