DUI Stages

Once a person is either released from jail or is seen by the First Appearance Judge, they will receive an Arraignment Court date. The Arraignment is the time in Court when the Judge will advise the accused what they are being charged with and ask the accused to enter a plea – Guilty, Not Guilty, or No Contest. Many people go to this Court date alone in an attempt to “put it behind them” or to “take care of it as quick as possible”. They may feel that they want to take responsibility for what they did, or they may just not have the time to deal with going to Court more than once. It however is generally a bad idea to go Court alone and plead Guilty or No Contest with the advice of an attorney. Allow a trained professional to review your case and speak with the Prosecution before making any decisions. The potential consequences are too great and too lasting to do it any other way.

The typical response for a lawyer hired on a case is enter a Not Guilty plea on behalf of the Defendant, waive the Arraignment, and file a Demand for Discovery. This will eliminate the need for the accused to have to go to their Arraignment Court date, along with allowing the lawyer the ability to review the strength and weakness of the Prosecutor’s case.

The next Court Date that is set is a Pre-Trial Conference. This is a hearing where the Judge wants to know the status of the case. The case may be set for another Pre-Trial if good cause is shown for more time, it could be set for a plea if a deal has been reached, or it could be set for Trial. The Court will also be informed if there are pending motions or hearings, which could eliminate evidence and impact negotiations.

Whether you want to end the case as soon as possible or you have been wrongfully arrested and are demanding a trial, call the Law Office of Terrance R. Rooth to get an experienced opinion. The call is free and confidential.

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