What can the outcome of a preliminary hearing influence?

The outcome of a preliminary hearing plays a significant role in determining whether the prosecution has enough evidence to continue with the case. During this stage, the evidence is presented to assess whether there is probable cause to believe that a crime has been committed and that the accused is linked to that crime. If the preliminary hearing finds sufficient evidence, it can lead to the decision to formally proceed with charges against the accused, which is a critical step in the legal process.

This preliminary evaluation helps to filter out cases that do not have enough merit to justify further legal proceedings, thereby influencing the trajectory of the case significantly. Each of the other options relates to different aspects of the legal process, but are not directly influenced by the preliminary hearing outcome in the way that establishing grounds to proceed with charges is.