If you have been charged with a DUI offense, you are probably unsure of what to expect next. Following an arrest and release, you should receive a court date. Mecklenburg County DUI hearings are serious and it is important to work with an experienced DUI attorney that could guide you through the hearing process. Contact a lawyer today and know that you are in capable hands.
On the day of the trial, individuals should expect to be in court for multiple hours. The trial itself, depending on how complicated it is, could last anywhere from an hour to all day. This can also depend on whether it is a misdemeanor or a felony trial.
Mecklenburg County DUI hearings usually take an hour or maybe two hours for a misdemeanor trial or, a full day to two days for a felony DUI trial.
The opening arguments will be made, if the attorneys so choose, witnesses will be called by the prosecution, and then the defense will have the opportunity to present its evidence, if it has any. The judge or jury will decide the outcome of the case at the end of the trial.
The most important preparation people can do prior to Mecklenburg County DUI hearings is focus on relaxing. The trial is very stressful and there is a very serious outcome that will follow from the trial, but the individual will make their best impression and will present their best testimony if they are relaxed and confident on the day of trial.
The accused should also be in touch with their attorney frequently so that the attorney can advise them on any case-specific issues.
The first thing somebody should do when they arrive at the courthouse is to make sure that their phone is safely secured in their car because they will not be allowed to bring a phone inside. They should be dressed appropriately for court and, once they arrive at the courthouse, they should find their attorney who will be looking for them as well. The individual should plan to be at the courthouse 15 to 30 minutes prior to trial so that all necessary conversations can be had in private before entering the courtroom to begin the trial.
Depending on the case, the first step in the trial might be to select the jury. That process can take anywhere from 30 minutes to two hours. Then, the counsel for each side will make the opening statements, if they so choose, and then the prosecution will begin calling its witnesses.
After the prosecution’s case, the defense will have an opportunity to present its evidence through its witnesses and then there will be closing arguments made by the counsel of both sides. Then, the judge or the jury will have an opportunity to deliberate over the evidence and review it prior to delivering a verdict.
Opening statements are a way for the attorneys to orient the judges and jury to the case to make them somewhat familiar with the evidence that they are about to hear so that it will make more sense to them as it unfolds. Both sides, in their opening statements, will describe what they expect the evidence to show in each case.
In Mecklenburg County DUI hearings, one can expect the prosecution to generalize that the defendant was intoxicated and was operating the vehicle. One might expect the defense to raise whatever specific issues might arise, including that, perhaps, the defendant was not, in fact, intoxicated or that they were not operating a vehicle or any other issues that might give rise to reasonable doubt.
A closing argument is an opportunity for each attorney to make their case to the judge or the jury. A closing argument is going to be the moment of persuasion for the attorneys to argue why their case makes the most sense and why the jury should deliver a verdict consistent with what their side wants. The prosecution will insist they have proved their case beyond a reasonable doubt and the defense will point the specific reasons why the evidence has given rise to reasonable doubt and why the jury should dismiss the case. If an individual wants to know more about Mecklenburg DUI hearings, they should speak with a knowledgeable lawyer that could answer their questions.