Court Process

What can you expect if you are arrested for driving under the influence in Connecticut? We discuss several of the early steps in the process on this page, including field sobriety tests and breath tests that may be requested by the police, urine and blood tests, and symptoms of intoxication that the police will look for.

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When a person is charged with a DUI, they have the right to defend themselves in court. Each situation is different, and therefore, the defense that works for one person might not work for you. If you have been charged with a drug DUI, your defenses will differ from those of someone charged with driving under the influence of alcohol. In this post, I will discuss some of the common defenses that might apply to your drug DUI case. Again, each situation is different, so use this page as a starting point, and then contact an attorney to discuss your case. Learn more about the court process here.

Going to Court

One of the most important things to remember is that if you have a court date, you must attend. Failure to do so will only make your situation worse. This is because the judge can order a failure to appear charge against you. This will trigger a warrant for your arrest. If you find yourself in this situation, you will be charged with two offenses – your original DUI charge and the failure to appear charge. Again, this will only increase the penalties against you and complicate your situation. Judges and the court system in general do not look favorably on those who do not show up for their court dates.

There are only a few very limited situations in which the court will accept a valid excuse for failure to appear in court. This is usually in the case of a true medical emergency. If you have a conflict for a court date or you need more time to prepare your case, you should ask your lawyer to request a continuance of the case with the court. Only if the continuance is granted do you not need to show up on the original court date.

Call us today to schedule a free consultation with my team. Hope will not fix your Connecticut DUI charge. Contacting us can!

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Helping Your Case

There are many ways that you can help your case by making a favorable impression at court. Make sure that you arrive on time, which is to say, get to court early. You should account for things that might slow you down such as traffic, finding parking, going through security, finding your courtroom, etc. Make sure that you leave ample time to appear in court in a timely manner. Being late will not make a good impression on the judge.

Another thing that you can do to make a good impression is to dress professionally for your court date. We have seen clients wear sweatpants to court – this is not something that will impress a judge, prosecutor, or jury. Wear the most professional clothes that you own, or consider buying a new suit if you do not have anything that is suitable. While your case won’t be won or lost based on what you are wearing, it can still make a good impression if you take the court process seriously and wear something nice.

Getting Help

If you have been charged with a DUI, it is important to contact an attorney to discuss your options. A DUI attorney will be able to help you find the best defense for your case given your particular situation. For more information, you can contact my office.

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