I have always been someone who loves to stay on the right side of justice, which is probably why I shied away from hanging out with the wrong crowd all growing up. Unfortunately, I found myself with someone when they committed a criminal act a few years ago, and it really hurt my case. It was amazing to see just how damaging those initial charges were to my self-confidence, and I knew that I had to do something to make things right. I began focusing on working with the right lawyer to clear my name, and within a few days, things were looking up. Check out this website to learn more about criminal attorneys.
Know Your DUI Charges
If your loved one has been arrested for DUI you are likely at wit's end dealing with the ramifications. You should keep in mind that being arrested does not that they are guilty and everyone is owed due process. One of the first legal events after an arrest is the arrangement, so read on to find out more about this important event and how it might concern your efforts to free your loved one from jail.
What is an arraignment?
One of the basic tenets of criminal law is to be informed about the charges you are facing. While the accused may have been informed about the charges by the arresting authority, none of that should be construed as an official fact. The arraignment means appearing to hear the charges and to be given an opportunity to enter a plea.
What to expect at the arraignment
Many arraignments are now held via video streaming instead of having to transport prisoners to a courtroom, but either way you will be dealing with a judge. The judge will inform you of your charges, ask for a plea and discuss your legal representation.
Being informed of the charges
The accused is told the name of the crime, such as driving under the influence or driving while intoxicated and any other crimes that they are being charged with. If there was an accident at the same time then the accused may be charged with several other crimes depending on the laws of the state.
Entering a plea
Your loved one will be asked to state whether or not they wish to plead to the crime. Unless they've already spoken with a criminal defense attorney it might be best to plead "not guilty."
Legal representation
Since arraignments happen very quickly, most of the time you won't have the time to arrange legal representation for your loved one. The judge will ask whether or not they already have a lawyer and if not they are able to afford one. They may then be assigned a lawyer. The fees for this lawyer are based on income and the services might be free or the fees might be based on a sliding scale.
Bail or no bail
The sooner your loved one is released from the jail the easier it will be for them to begin working on their DUI defense. As long as your loved one has little to no previous offenses they are likely to be released with either no bail needed (own recognizance) or with a bail provision. Once the arraignment is complete you will be able to access all of the info you need to get your loved one out of jail by phoning the number for jail information.
DUI cases can be complicated and the pressure is on law enforcement to make a clean arrest that cannot be challenged. Get a criminal law attorney like Angela L Walker PC on your loved one's case right away.