From 2014 to 2016, federal judges ordered criminal defendants to pay approximately $33.9 billion in restitution to their victims, yet only around $2.95 billion was collected. For those doing the math at home, that is approximately a nine percent collection rate. And many states are not faring much better in their ability to collect restitution.

A guide by the NYC Bar to appearing at your trial. 

A guide by the Florida Courts on appearing in court for hearings and trial. 

If you are charged with a crime or issued a traffic ticket, you may be ordered to appear in court. Depending on the charges, you may be required to appear several times during a criminal case – for an arraignment, pre-trial conference, hearing, trial, sentencing, or other proceeding. A summons or notice to appear is a court order. If you do not appear as ordered, you have violated the court order and may face serious consequences, even criminal charges.

General - A guide to your first court appearance. This was written for people in Wyoming, but it applies to every state. 

Information from the DOJ on initial court appearances.

Federal Specific - A general description of what happens in a federal criminal case.

If the defendant is convicted in a criminal case, the judge will set a date for sentencing. Before that time, a pre-sentence investigation will take place to help the judge determine the appropriate sentence from the range of possible sentences set out in the statutes. The pre-sentence investigation may consider the defendant's prior criminal record, family situation, health, work record, and any other relevant factor.

State Specific - NY - The criminal justice process is complex, and often can be confusing to persons not familiar with criminal law.  This arrest-to-sentence guide and legal glossary are designed to explain and clarify the criminal justice process in New York County.

If you are found guilty or plead guilty, you will get your punishment from the judge. This is called sentencing. For violations and minor misdemeanor cases you may be sentenced right away. Where the possibility of prison time exists, you will most likely get a date a few weeks away for a sentencing hearing.