Preparing for a DC DUI Trial

When someone is preparing for their court hearing, it is essential that they understand the trial process. An important element of DC DUI trial preparation comes with consulting with their attorney. A person should have all that preparation done in advance. The attorney makes sure the person has an understanding of what their specific trial look likes regarding the evidence the government presents; how that evidence is challenged; and what evidence is presented by the defense.

If you are preparing for a DUI trial in DC, an attorney can ensure that your legal rights are protected, examine any evidence and build a defense strategy. It is important to fully prepare for a trial so they know what to expect throughout the hearing.

Preparing for Trial

When preparing for trial, a person should look their best to show proper respect to the court. The person should have a recent haircut and be well-groomed in a suit, dress, or something else suitable for an official occasion. They should be appropriately dressed and groomed when presenting themselves to someone who is going to judge them.

At trial, someone is judging what happened and judging the person, especially when they testify. When the person testifies, the judge or jury evaluates the person and their credibility. They determine whether they believe the person and decide what they think of the person. When the person comes before a judge or a jury, they want to make the best possible impression.

As far as preparation for the trial, the attorney spends a significant amount of time making sure their client is properly prepared. When the person plans to testify, they practice their testimony with their attorney. They practice answering cross-examination questions about their testimony. The attorney makes sure that the person is prepared, knows what is coming, knows the questions they are going to be asked, and knows the proper way to testify.

First Day of Court

The first day of trial is an important day. The person has one chance to make a good first impression with the judge with regard to the case going to trial. By the time the person shows up for trial, they have been in front of the judge several times in status hearings and other court hearings. However, a judge may not have any specific recollections of the person. The judge really focuses on the person on the first day of trial.

The first thing a person should do before anything else shows up early at the courthouse. People visiting courthouses must now go through security and the DC Superior Court is no different. A person must go through the metal detector. They want to make sure to arrive early in case there are any traffic issues. A person should leave early and just assume the worst with regard to Metro problems or traffic problems.

Parking around the courthouse can be horrendous in the morning so a person should make sure that is all planned out and make sure they know when and where to meet with their attorney.

Arriving On Time

It is critical that the person is on time. Every day in the DC Superior Court, there is at least one DUI case where the government is not ready. They may have a second guess at their own witnesses, their own evidence, or their own case. They may have failed to properly preserve or disclose information and evidence. Sometimes, one of the prosecution’s witnesses needed to proceed with the case does not show and the government cannot go forward with the case.

If the person is present at the critical moment when the case is called and the government is not ready, more likely than not, the court grants a request by the defense to dismiss the case against them because the government is not ready. That opportunity dissolves if the person is not present. The government may not be ready; however, they are not required to say whether they are ready if the person is not present. If the person walks in an hour late, the opportunity to have the case dismissed is gone. If the court calls the trial matter at 9:30 and the person is not there, the court may direct the government to release their witnesses and issue a bench warrant for the arrest of the person.