Question For Insiders Re Prosecutors And Their Witnesses
I was in court today to get a deal from the prosecutor for speeding 73 in 50 zone. I decided to get a trial date because of the possiblity that the officer won't show up. One thing I learnt from a legal expert (who happened to stop by in the hall and talk to the public) was that I did not have to verify whether or not the officer is present in order to make a deal; that the prosecutor will automatically withdraw the charge once I am called upon if the witness is absent. Indeed, this is what happened to some people. In a courtroom of 20-25 people, I noticed 3 charges withdrawn based on the absence of the witness, and I was only the 10th or so to be called, so I assume there were more (although they do tend to be handled first).
There is, however, one thing I'm not clear about. If the prosecutor arrives 30 minutes before the trial, and thereafter does not communicate with anyone besides the public, then how on earth does he know which officers have made it or not?
Do the officers and prosecutor all arrive together? If not, how does it work?
I just wonder whether in fact we can trust the prosecutor to always announce when the witness is not present before the defendant is charged.