Criminal proceedings are under way against me
The heart of the matter
- Accused or witness? Check the letter carefully to see in what role you have been summoned. As an accused person you do not have to say anything about the case; different duties apply to witnesses. If it concerns a regulatory offence, such as a speed camera, it is a fine procedure (Bußgeldverfahren).
- Silence is a right, not a sign of guilt. You do not have to say anything about the case, neither to the police nor to the public prosecutor's office nor in court. Silence may not be interpreted as guilt. You must give personal details (such as name, date and place of birth, address, marital status, occupation, nationality); anyone who refuses commits a regulatory offence (§ 111 OWiG).
- Police summons or summons from the public prosecutor's office and court? Accused persons do not have to go to a police summons. They must appear before the public prosecutor's office and the court, but they do not have to testify there either (§ 163a Abs. 3, § 133, § 230 StPO).
- First access to the files, then comment. What you say early is in the file and can hardly be taken back. Only the file shows what evidence there is and what exactly you are accused of.
- The deadlines are short and different. Objection to a penalty order: 2 weeks after service, no reasons are needed. Appeal on facts and law (Berufung) or on law only (Revision): 1 week after the judgment is pronounced, or from service if it was pronounced in your absence (§§ 314, 341 StPO). After that the decision becomes final; what mainly remains is restoration of the previous position (Wiedereinsetzung) if you were prevented through no fault of your own, and in rare cases reopening of the case (Wiederaufnahme).
How the roadmap works. Answer the questions. Your roadmap is built from them. It shows what you should do immediately, which deadlines are running and who can help you. The most important point first: as an accused person you do not have to say anything about the case. What is dangerous is testifying without access to the files or letting a deadline pass. This roadmap is general information and is no substitute for a defence lawyer.
Your answers are not stored or transmitted; they only appear in your browser's address bar. Anyone who shares the link also shares the answers. Legal position as of November 2026: StPO (Code of Criminal Procedure) as currently in force (last amended by Art. 2 Abs. 7 G v. 20.3.2026, BGBl. 2026 I Nr. 95; the amendment by G v. 3.7.2026, BGBl. 2026 I Nr. 199, concerns only § 492 and applies from 1 January 2027), in particular § 136 (right to remain silent), § 163 Abs. 3 (duty to appear only for witnesses at the police), § 163a Abs. 3 (duty of accused persons to appear at the public prosecutor's office), §§ 140–142 (mandatory defence counsel), § 147, §§ 153, 153a, §§ 407–412, §§ 312–345, §§ 44, 45, §§ 465, 467; StGB (§ 40, § 42, § 43 with conversion 2 daily rates = 1 day since 1 February 2024, § 46a, §§ 69, 69a); JGG; BZRG (§ 32); GVG (§ 187); BerHG. A comprehensive reform of the StPO has been announced but not yet adopted.
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Your roadmap
Stand As of November 2026. The roadmap arranges general information according to your answers. It does not review an individual case, does not replace legal advice and does not assess your dismissal or any deadline as valid, met or missed. Whether an entitlement exists is decided by the responsible office; deadlines and amounts change often – check important details with an advice centre.
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On a decision, deadline, application or responsibility. You get an answer with the matching page, the responsible office and the next step, usually within two working days. No legal advice in individual cases, no sharing of your data.