hearing, in law, a trial. More specifically, a hearing is the formal examination of a cause, civil or criminal, before a judge according to the laws of a particular jurisdiction. In common usage a hearing also refers to any formal proceeding before a court. In reference to criminal procedure a hearing refers to a proceeding before a magistrate subsequent to the inception of the case and without a jury—especially a preliminary hearing, in which a magistrate or judge, in the presence of the accused, determines whether there is sufficient evidence to justify proceeding with the case.