So generic for precose you’ve been busted and charged with “driving under the influence” (“DUI”) or “driving while intoxicated” (“DWI”). While you’ll obviously need a attorney at law to defend you in court, it can make things a lot less complicated to learn what’s going to transpire in court before you talk to a lawyer.

Arraignment

The first hearing in your DWI case is certainly likely to be an arraignment. After studying the charge against you, the judge will enquire whether you plead guilty or innocent. Unless you’re represented by an attorney and have talked it over carefully with your attorney, you’ll choose to plead “not guilty.”

The judge will make a choice whether or not to reduce your bail amount or release you on your “own recognizance” without necessitating additional bail.

If you aren’t already represented by an attorney at law, the judge will decide whether you are a candidate Buy Levitra for a government-appointed lawyer, termed a “public defender.” Being appointed a lawyer fulfills your constitutional right to the assistance of counsel in criminal cases where you can be deprived of your liberty.

If you have an lawyer, or are appointed a public defender who is present in the courtroom, the prosecutor may possibly provide your attorney replications of any police reports and other documents the prosecutor is intending to depend upon in presenting the case against you (such as blood alcohol test results).

The judge will most likely set the date for pre-trial motions and trials.

Preliminary Hearings

At a preliminary buy cytotec generic hearing, the judge will conclude whether or not the evidence produced by the prosecutor could (but not necessarily will) convince a jury you were driving while intoxicated. However, in many states, misdemeanor charges are not shown at a preliminary hearing, but rather are only presented at trial. While the processes for this vary greatly from state to state, it may well be your attorney’s opportunity to size up the prosecution’s case.

“Plea bargaining” – discussing a deal with the prosecutor to plead guilty to a smaller charge- is discouraged in DWI cases and has even been outlawed in some states. Many legislators feel that DWI is such a dangerous criminal offense that plea bargaining is wrong.

There may be cases, however, when an attorney (at or before the preliminary hearing stage) can reach a deal with the prosecutor to have a DWI charge reduced to a less serious charge, such as reckless driving. It may also be possible to reach a compromise by agreeing to plead guilty to the DWI charge in exchange for the prosecutor recommending a less severe sentence than if the case went to trial.

Pre-Trial Motions

Your attorney will likely bring motions to have explicit damaging evidence kept out of the trial. Examples of evidence that defense lawyers work hard at eradicating from a DWI trial at the pretrial motion stage include things like:

• Physical evidence such as alcohol bottles confiscated from the car
• Blood alcohol content testing results
• Any incriminating statements or confessions you may have made to the arresting officer(s)

Trial

Although many DWI cases are solved before going to trial, it’s plausible you’ll find yourself at trial. If so, the trial may proceed in a predictable manner, with:

• Jury selection (unless it is a trial by judge, which is fairly unusual in DWI trials)
• Opening statements by your attorney and the prosecutor, outlining the evidence each intends to present
• Testimony from witnesses
• Cross-examination of the witnesses buy Baby Lotion online by both attorneys
• Motions from your attorney after the prosecution has presented its case, sometimes asking the judge to dismiss the case for lack of evidence
• Closing arguments from both lawyers summing up the evidence, and arguments about how the law applies
• Jury instructions (by the judge) on the law the jury must apply
• Jury deliberation
• Jury verdict

Sentencing

If you’re convicted for DWI, the judge may sentence you to:

• Pay fines
• A short jail stay
• A long jail term if you were involved in an accident where you injured or killed someone
• Probation or a suspended sentence, with conditions on where you can go and actions you’re prohibited from (such as drinking)
• Community service, working with local non-profit community organizations
• Drug or alcohol counseling or outpatient or intensive inpatient rehab
• Install an “ignition interlock” device on your vehicle which prevents you from operating your vehicle if your blood alcohol content is over a certain level, typically

If your driver’s license hasn’t already been suspended, your state department of licensing may also suspend it for a certain period of time or put restrictions on when and where cheap amoxil online you can drive.

You’ll require a lawyer to represent you prior to and in the course of trial. It’s ideal to find a attorney at law you trust as soon as possible after being charged with DWI.

For help with a criminal defense Athens Georgia, consult with a criminal defense attorney Athens GA.