When you are first pulled over and arrested for suspicion of driving under the influence, you will be given a citation notice that states a day and time, as well as a courthouse. This is your arraignment date. On the arraignment date, the Court will explain the charges against you, the possible penalties and will ask you if you wish to enter a plea at that time. At your arraignment, you will also have the opportunity to speak to a public defender, ask for a continuance to hire an attorney, and also be given a plea bargain from the Prosecutor.
A lot happens at an Arraignment, as it is a very important appearance. This is a court ordered mandatory appearance. The only excuse for not appearing is if you have a Los Angeles DUI Lawyer representing you in a misdemeanor case. If you do, the attorney can appear on your behalf and you do not need to appear at all.
If you do not have a Criminal attorney representing you, then you must appear in court on the day that you have been ordered to do so. This is mandatory, you have to appear and is not optional. You cannot appear a day after you have been ordered, but you may have the option to appear before.
If you do not appear on or before the ordered date then a warrant will be issued against you. This is not a simple charge, it is it’s own charge and can result to you being arrested. If you are stopped for another violation, and a warrant is pending then they can arrest you right on the spot because of the pending warrant.
If you have a warrant issued against you, you must appear before the court to explain as to why you did not adhere to the mandatory court orders. The Judge will then make a determination as to whether the warrant will be recalled, or if they will take you into custody.
Not appearing in court for your arraignment leads to additional charges and trouble. It is a good idea to appear on the date you have been ordered to. Everyone is busy and has a lot going on, and it is often difficult to take a day off of work. However, if you hire a Los Angeles DUI lawyer, you can have the lawyer appear for you. In fact, having a lawyer appear on your behalf helps you avoid taking a day off work, but more importantly, it helps alleviate the stress and hassle of having to appear in court yourself.
It can be very scary to do it on your own, especially when you are not regularly in court and do not know what to expect. Take the proper precautions and avoid the unnecessary stress by hiring a DUI professional right away!