My clients who have been charged with a DWI often ask: "how can I prepare for my court date?" Prior to your court date, it is important to take steps to make sure that you are prepared for the hearing and the consequences of a DWI charge. DWI charges require a lot of preparation in order to make sure that you walk out of the court room with a positive result. The good news is that you will have a lot of time after the time you are charged and before your first court date so you will have time to prepare. Preparation is key; you want to have a list of things accomplished before a sentencing hearing.
You may be convicted of your DWI charge, whether by a plea of guilty or a jury verdict. After the conviction, you will appear for a sentencing hearing at which time you will want to present evidence that you will not have any future problems with alcohol or DWI related charges. Most importantly, the judge will want to hear evidence that convinces him or her that you will not end up in the same courtroom with a second DWI charge.
Carefully read the list below and identify which steps apply to your case. You will want to do everything on the list that helps your case in any way.
Obtain an alcohol assessment. Having an alcohol assessment completed before your court date is a specific mitigating factor at sentencing. Obtaining this assessment is probably the easiest, but also the most important, way to prepare for a DWI sentencing hearing. Contact an attorney or a local alcohol assessment agency for more information.
If your alcohol assessment recommends classes, take them. Follow through with any classes that your assessment recommends. The court will almost always require you to take these classes anyway, so you can show the judge that you are taking initiative by taking the classes before you are required to.
Participate in community service with a non-profit organization. Look up local churches, goodwill, salvation army, etc. Performing community service will demonstrate to the judge that you are a contributing member to society and that you are willing to work your way back to being a productive part of your community.
If applicable, attend AA meetings. This is particularly important if you are going to court on a second DWI charge. This is also important if your alcohol assessment demonstrates alcohol dependency. AA sponsors are usually willing to write an anonymous letter on your behalf stating how often you attend meetings, your involvement in those meetings, and the sponsor's relationship with you.
Stop alcohol use entirely prior to your court date. You could demonstrate this from the use of a continuous alcohol monitoring device, or you can simply be able to honestly tell the judge that you have not been drinking since your charge. This helps show that you have control over alcohol, not that alcohol has control over you.
Obtain a letter from your car insurance that says any and all property damage as a result of your DWI accident has been paid. This is absolutely necessary of you cause an accident and damage to another person's car, or if you injure someone. This letter is your way of telling the court that you have taken responsibility for your actions and paid everyone to whom you owe a debt as a result of your accident.
Take advantage of a free legal consultation. While there are many ways to prepare for a court date on your own, don't hesitate to take advantage of a free legal consultation during which an attorney can help you develop an action plan for your case.
You may be convicted of your DWI charge, whether by a plea of guilty or a jury verdict. After the conviction, you will appear for a sentencing hearing at which time you will want to present evidence that you will not have any future problems with alcohol or DWI related charges. Most importantly, the judge will want to hear evidence that convinces him or her that you will not end up in the same courtroom with a second DWI charge.
Carefully read the list below and identify which steps apply to your case. You will want to do everything on the list that helps your case in any way.
Obtain an alcohol assessment. Having an alcohol assessment completed before your court date is a specific mitigating factor at sentencing. Obtaining this assessment is probably the easiest, but also the most important, way to prepare for a DWI sentencing hearing. Contact an attorney or a local alcohol assessment agency for more information.
If your alcohol assessment recommends classes, take them. Follow through with any classes that your assessment recommends. The court will almost always require you to take these classes anyway, so you can show the judge that you are taking initiative by taking the classes before you are required to.
Participate in community service with a non-profit organization. Look up local churches, goodwill, salvation army, etc. Performing community service will demonstrate to the judge that you are a contributing member to society and that you are willing to work your way back to being a productive part of your community.
If applicable, attend AA meetings. This is particularly important if you are going to court on a second DWI charge. This is also important if your alcohol assessment demonstrates alcohol dependency. AA sponsors are usually willing to write an anonymous letter on your behalf stating how often you attend meetings, your involvement in those meetings, and the sponsor's relationship with you.
Stop alcohol use entirely prior to your court date. You could demonstrate this from the use of a continuous alcohol monitoring device, or you can simply be able to honestly tell the judge that you have not been drinking since your charge. This helps show that you have control over alcohol, not that alcohol has control over you.
Obtain a letter from your car insurance that says any and all property damage as a result of your DWI accident has been paid. This is absolutely necessary of you cause an accident and damage to another person's car, or if you injure someone. This letter is your way of telling the court that you have taken responsibility for your actions and paid everyone to whom you owe a debt as a result of your accident.
Take advantage of a free legal consultation. While there are many ways to prepare for a court date on your own, don't hesitate to take advantage of a free legal consultation during which an attorney can help you develop an action plan for your case.
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