When a person is arrested on the charges of driving while intoxicated with drug or alcohol in Atlanta, the first step is arraignment, where the defendant has to appear in a court hearing. It is important to note that the procedure of arraignment starts only after the charges have been filed officially. It means the case may be handled more efficiently if you hire an expert Atlanta dwi attorney much before the official filing of charges. You will need your lawyer at the arraignment also if it cannot be avoided. In the court, you will be asked to explain how you are going to plead to the charges. Your lawyer will try to get the case resolved right at this stage, but if the offence is very serious, the court may push the case for preliminary hearing and trial. Following is a brief overview on some of the basic aspects associated with the process of arraignment.
Appearing Before The Court
When you appear in the court after official filing of charges, the police officials will read out the charges against you along with other basic details before the judge.
Getting A Legal Representation Is Your Right
Whether you are in Atlanta or some other place in the United States of America, you have the right to have legal representation in your defense. The judge will ask you during the hearing if you have an Atlanta dwi attorney to defend your case. If you cannot afford a lawyer on your own, the court will appoint an attorney to represent you.
Entering A Plea
The next step at an arraignment is to enter a plea. The judge will ask your attorney how the defendant pleads to the charges. There are three options in this regard – you can plead a no contest, you can plead guilty, or you can plead not guilty. Atlanta laws also provide the defendant a legal right to refuse to enter a plea at all by standing mute. The court will consider it as a not-guilty plea. Whether the court sets a date for the trial or not depends on how the plea is entered.
The court may decide to release the defendant from custody by setting a bail amount. It is up to the judge to decide how much money the defendant must pay as bail to get released. If the defendant is financially incapable to pay the amount of bail bonds , they can seek bail bonds services from a bail bondsman to pay their bail and get them out of jail sooner. If the bail amount is not paid, the defendant will stay in jail until the trial is complete. In some cases, you may even be released on your own recognizance. Considering the complex legal proceedings after a dwi arrest, having a reputable Atlanta dwi attorney will definitely maximize your chances of getting out of jail as soon as possible.