A DUI charge can be a long, involved process that starts with a traffic stop and ends in court. That court hearing determines your fate and could have far-reaching consequences for the rest of your life. That is why it is vitally important that you prepare for your DUI court date as thoroughly as possible. You will, of course, need a DUI lawyer to help you prepare because they will have a lot of experience handling these sorts of cases and will know the steps that can give you the best chance of receiving little or no penalties. So, make sure that you hire a highly experienced DUI lawyer because they can advise you on the next steps that you need to take.
Decide On Your Plea
The first stage of your DUI court date will be the arraignment. This is where you appear before a judge as they read the charges that have been leveled against you; after reading those charges, the judge will ask you to enter a plea, your choices are guilty, not guilty, or no contest. You will also be asked if you have a lawyer, and if you do not, then one will be appointed to you if you are eligible.
If you plead not guilty, then you definitely need a lawyer to help guide you through the rest of the DUI process. If you do plead guilty, then the judge will sentence you for your crime and you will skip the preliminary hearing and trial processes. If there is concrete proof of your guilt that you know about, then you should plead guilty since fighting an obvious DUI charge would be pointless.
However, if you do decide to plead not guilty, then you should be prepared to post bail because you will be held in jail until you can do so. That is why it is a good idea to contact a bail bondsman before your arraignment.
Find and Meet With An Attorney
Once you have pleaded not guilty, you will need to find an experienced DUI lawyer to represent you. You can get recommendations from friends or family who have been through a situation similar to yours. If you cannot find an attorney that way, then you can get referrals from the Bar Association of your state.
Once you have found an attorney, you need to discuss the full extent of your case with them. Do not leave anything out. You will need to discuss the possible punishment you will receive if you do not win the case and find out if you are prepared to accept it. If this is your first offense and no one got hurt, then you are likely to receive a lighter sentence.
Help Your Attorney Prepare For The Case
Your attorney will start to gather evidence related to your DUI charge in order to prepare for your case. You can help them by detailing all that you can remember about the stop including any breathalyzer tests or field sobriety tests you took when you were stopped by the officer. A good lawyer can find discrepancies in any of the tests used to determine your sobriety. You should also take note if there were any witnesses present so that your lawyer can contact them to find out if there were any improprieties during your DUI traffic stop. You should also send a request to the police department asking them to preserve any evidence taken from your DUI stop.
Dress Appropriately
You should always dress in an appropriate and respectful manner when going to court. You want to show that you respect the authority of the court and that you take the hearing and trial seriously. Casual or informal dress sends the wrong message and it could have a negative effect on your sentence if the judge does not think that you are taking the proceedings earnestly. Men should wear formal trousers, a tucked-in, button-up, long-sleeved, collared shirt, and if possible, a jacket and tie, all of which should be clean and pressed.
Women should dress fairly conservatively, which means that skirts or dresses should be knee-length or slightly lower. All clothes should have solid colors and overly busy patterns should be avoided. Professional-looking attire like pants suits are fine but casual or club wear should be avoided. Hair should be well-groomed and wild or multiple colors should be avoided. Makeup should be fairly low key as well.
Prepare For Your Court Date Accordingly
A court date can be intimidating or scary, but if you follow these tips, you will be well prepared for whatever may happen. However, the best way to get prepared is to follow your lawyer’s instructions and do what they ask you to do. They have experience in the court and will know what will give you the best chance of a successful outcome. So, do what your lawyer tells you; they know what they are doing.
