Is There A Court Appearance For A DUI Within The First Month?
It depends; each court and each police station tends to drive his or her own ship about court appearances. Some courts have the police officer set the arraignment date within weeks, others could be months. I have had a client who was arrested, and had not been required to go to court for as long as four months after an arrest.
What Can Someone Expect At Court Appearances For A DUI?
If you have an attorney, that attorney can appear for you at the first appearance, which is called an arraignment. If you do not have an attorney, then you will be required to appear on your own. At that time, you or your attorney will be advised of the charges, and you will be given a copy of the police report. At this point, you will be given the opportunity to enter a plea of guilty or not guilty. Never ever, ever, ever should anyone plead guilty at his or her first appearance. Obviously, there is no time whatsoever to investigate any type of potential defenses at a first hearing. The bottom-line is you can always plead guilty, and there is no rush. You should be in no rush to plead guilty.
How Often Should Someone Meet With Their Attorney For A DUI Case?
Meeting with your attorney depends upon you. What you would like. What you need. What you feel comfortable with, and what your attorney is going to feel he needs to convey to you. More often than not, these are two different needs. The client needs to be assured, but the attorney’s need is to gather or convey information. Therefore, it really depends upon both of those motivations.
Will I Ever Have To Meet A Pre-Trial Probation Officer In A DUI Case?
You will not have to meet a pre-trail probation officer on a DUI case. Certainly in more serious matters prior to a plea being entered, there will be a pretrial probation report. If it is an extremely serious situation with either significant injuries or a fatality, then yes, there may very well be such a report required.
When Does A Defense Attorney Receive Discovery And Evidence Pertaining To A DUI Case?
First, you are not going to be given any evidence out of the ordinary unless you ask for it. The prosecutors will give you the bare-minimum police report. They will not provide you with any additional information unless you request it. It is really one of the big differences between the qualities of attorneys. Some attorneys may not even request any additional information. An experienced attorney is going to attempt to seek every piece of evidence available and fight for it.
At What Point Does The Defendant Decide To Plead Either Guilty Or Not Guilty In A DUI Case?
There is no time limit to plead guilty. It is going to be when you are ready to make a decision. You are going to be the only one who decides whether the case goes to trial. In most cases, the court will allow you sufficient time to make that determination. However, it boils down to the client, who has to make that final decision.
What Is The General Timeline For A DUI Case In California?
If you do go to trial, it is usually going to be somewhere between four to six months after the initial court appearance. You to need to prepare with your attorney, and you are going to need to assist in preparation of witnesses, evidence, and go over this trial strategy with your attorney.
Do You Recommend Pre-Trial Counseling For Your DUI Clients?
I advise all of my clients to start pre-trial counseling. The reason being is that if you start on your own “Addressing the issue”, then the prosecutor or the judge will feel like you are taking responsibility for those issues. There is no reason not to start taking some kind of preventative medicine, or alternatives so you can present that information in obtaining the best result.
Helpful Advice For People Facing DUI Charges
First, relax; it is not the end of the world, it can be dealt with. You need to hire competent counsel, and work with them to get the best result possible.
For more information on Court Appearance For DUI Charges, a free initial consultation is your next best step. Get the information and legal answers you are seeking by calling (310) 277-1707 today.
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