What happens in a DUI arraignment?

What is usually covered at a DUI arraignment?

(Cuyahoga, OH) – March 2^nd, 2016 – If you are apprehended for a drunk driving accident, then you need to be present at court for an arraignment. It is essentially a court process where you enter a plea as well as see to certain other details, such as the schedule of the subsequent proceeding in your case. According to Cuyahoga, OH drunk driving accident lawyers there are several issues connected with the arraignment.

If you intend to represent yourself, as many do in the initial stages of the process, your main aim is to obtain the police report in order to assess your case, prior to deciding what to do next, which is whether to fight your drunk driving accident case or not.

Representation

During your initial appearance in court, the judge will inquire if you have legal representation, and if not, whether you want to apply for the services of a public defender to contest your DUI charge. If you agree to a public defender the judge can appoint one immediately so that the court can proceed with the arraignment.

The Complaint & the Police Report

One of the important steps according to Ohio drunk driving accident attorneys is when the bailiff calls your name and provides a copy of all the charges made formally against you, along with the police report. When you get the charge sheet and the report, make sure to read through it quickly and note the main points. You will have plenty of time to go through the report with a fine tooth comb later. For the most part, the report doesn’t contain anything that can influence you in the handling of the arraignment.

The Plea

First, you will be asked how you intend to plead. Your options are guilty, no contest, or not guilty. Cuyahoga, OH drunk driving accident lawyers recommend that you plead not guilty. This is always something that the court usually expects anyone facing such charges to do.

Waiving Time

Furthermore, the judge will also ask you to waive time so that you don’t need to hold the court to a specific deadline for conducting the trial. At this juncture you have no idea as to what type of case you are going to have, or whether you need to prepare for your DUI defense. Therefore, it is sagacious to waive time at the arraignment. If you want to fight the case, you can always withdraw the waiver made earlier.

The point here is that you do not want to rush to trial. You want to have a proper defense and this takes time to build. Being in prison is terrible but if you rush to trial and lose because your case was not completely built, you will be returning to prison for a longer stretch.

Have you seen Prison Break? Prison is not very fun. Have you seen The Shawshank Redemption or Lock Up? You do not want to be in prison any longer than you have too.

You do not want to rush things. Have you see Batman III (Dark Knight Rises)? Batman rushed things in that movie and he fought Bane on his own turf and when he was not ready for a fight of that magnitude. That mistake cost Gotham dearly and Batman as well. Even when you are uncomfortable, it can always be worse. 

Terms of Release

Depending on the circumstances surrounding your case, the court will release you. If you have already bailed out the judge might continue the bail unless the prosecutor comes up with some reason for the bail to be raised. For the most part, the court will depend on your bail to guarantee your return, wherever you go. If you are allowed to leave jail sans bail, the court can grant a continued release if the prosecutor doesn’t object.

Eventually, a date will be set for your subsequent appearance to determine if the case can be settled by means of a plea bargain, or if you intend to go to trial.

If you have been arrested and face a DUI charge or are a victim of a drunk driving accident, make sure to consult an experienced Ohio drunk driving accident lawyer as soon as possible. Either way a legal counselor can help protect your rights. As a victim, you have the right to claim compensation following the drunk driving accident – you will need legal help for this and work out a settlement or file a lawsuit against the other party and their insurance company. If you cannot work out a settlement with the other side, then you need to file a lawsuit.

You can find that pivotal legal professional that can bring you up from financial ruin if you are a victim or help you out if you face charges right here: Drunk-Driving-Accident.USAttorneys. Any questions? Contact us.