Upon arrest for a DUI, or any other misdemeanor case for that matter, the court process that awaits you is very similar. The initial court appearance is referred to as an Arraignment hearing. During this initial appearance you will be required to enter a plea with the court of either guilty or not-guilty. This is a hearing to be taken seriously, entering the wrong plea at this time could have extremely hazardous effects on the outcome of your case.
After the arraignment hearing, where if you were represented by an aggressive and competent attorney you most likely pled not guilty, the pretrial investigatory period begins. During this time of the case, discovery is conducted by both parties in order to investigate all the facts. This could mean additional investigation by law enforcement on one end, and on the other, motions for discovery by your defense attorney in order to discover facts the prosecutor does not want us to know. This is the time where an aggressive criminal defense attorney prepares your case and attempt to get as much leverage as possible to force the prosecution into offering a favorable plea bargain. If the case is unable to be resolved to your satisfaction, then the last opportunity to fight for your rights is at trial.
The post The Criminal Justice Process appeared first on Law Offices of Taylor and Taylor - DUI Central.