The DUI trial process could be difficult to handle alone. An attorney can be instrumental in preparing for court for a Fredericksburg DUI. They could answer any questions you have about the process, set realistic expectations of what is supposed to occur during a trial, and advise you on how best to conduct yourself while in court. If you want to know more about what to expect during your trial and how to best prepare, speak with an accomplished DUI lawyer that could help you.
Finding information about the court date is one of the first steps in preparing for court for a Fredericksburg DUI. In the state of Virginia, a person’s court date information is published online for general district court cases, including Fredericksburg cases. It is called the Virginia Court GUS system. The information is based on a person’s county. Some things people who have been charged with driving under the influence should expect about the process of their case include that it is going to take a lot longer than they think, the charges are going to be much more serious than they think, they are not going to get the information they want until their first court date, and they are probably going to need a continuance in order to prepare for trial.
In any case in which there is potential jail time and unless the prosecutor waives jail time, a person must appear in court even if they have a lawyer. If someone does not appear in court, they could be tried in their absence and found guilty. They could have a warrant issued for their arrest and they could have their bond revoked. There are many types of consequences. The consequences of missing a court date are the same whether someone lives in the state or is from out of state.
If a person misses a court date in Virginia, a warrant will be issued for their arrest, even in their home state and have them extradited. Whether the home state cooperates depends on the state and the type of offense. They probably will be held for about two weeks before they are sent to Virginia. In Virginia, they will be held pending a bond motion, which they probably will not get because they skipped out on the court before.
If someone cannot make their court date, it is better to try to change the date instead of skipping it. A person can change their court date based on many types of circumstances. It usually depends on how many times the court date has been changed before and the reason they want a continuance, how close it is to the court date, and what jurisdiction they are in. Some jurisdictions do not allow it, others are lenient. Someone from out of state has the same options as a state resident to change the court day to a more suitable time, even for travel. They can call the court and find out whether the court will take their motion to continue over the phone. If they hire an attorney, the attorney can file one for them but will face the same limitations and same situations as anybody else dealing with that type of situation. Just because they are out of state does not make the court more likely to let them skip any of the steps in the process.
Before you can begin preparing for court for a Fredericksburg DUI, it is imperative that you get in touch with a capable attorney. Hiring a lawyer is probably the best way they could prepare for court. Some of the important things lawyers might tell people before their court date include telling individuals to make sure they provide their lawyer with all of the information they ask for, listen to them when they request that the accused do things or they request that they prepare in certain ways. It is also vital that you stay in touch with your lawyer so that they can contact you if issues should arise. If you have been charged with a DUI, speak with a capable lawyer that could prepare you for court and build a solid defense for you.