First Court Date in Municipal Court? | Lawyer Near Me
What Happens at My First Court Date in Municipal Court?
# Arraignment # 1st Appearance # Municipal Court
Getting ready for your first court appearance in Municipal court can be stressful – for most people this is a new experience, with a lot of unknowns and high-stakes consequences.
Don’t Fret – your Attorney (If you’ve hired us) knows what they are doing – they have prepared and they are ready to defend your rights.
So, what could happen at your first Municipal Court date?
The only thing that is required is to either plead Guilty or Not Guilty – that’s it. No Trial today, just notice of your plea.
If a plea of Not Guilty is entered you must choose between: 1. A Bench Trial in front of the Municipal Court Judge – or – 2. Transferring the case to Superior Court for a Jury Trial – or – 3. Your Attorney may also be working to negotiate a positive resolution.
Your Attorney may be able to negotiate a deal after talking to the Prosecutor, Officer, Chief of Police, and/or the Judge – if not, your Attorney can either: 1. Continue the case, continue negotiating, or bring back new evidence and try again – or – 2. Transfer the case to Superior Court and be assigned a new Judge and Prosecutor.
All in all, the best advice I give my Clients about Municipal Court First Appearance is to not stress out – the only way anything happens at First Appearance here is if we want it to.
The DUI Attorneys at Teague Law are intimately familiar with the charges of DUI and are ready to guide you through the process of defending yourself against these charges. Contact one of the experienced DUI Attorneys at Teague Law in Ellijay, GA today and let us begin fighting for you today.