going to court without a lawyer concerning a DWI, please help ?
Saturday, July 4th, 2009 at
12:48 am
Jude asked:
I cant afford a lawyer so i am representing myself in the court in Fairfax county, VA. i got a DWI last month with a bac of .08.
I cant afford a lawyer so i am representing myself in the court in Fairfax county, VA. i got a DWI last month with a bac of .08.
i dont want to plea guilty but i am going to as i just want to get it out of my way. please help me? as what i am supposed to do or say in front of the judge. i am very nervous about this and also let me know if i have any other options.
thanks for the response guys.. i am going to plea guilty whatever the consiquences, the fact is i did drink and drive .. i hope that the judge will not be so harsh with his judgement. thanks
Court must appoint a defense attorney for you without fee if you are unable to hire one (Public Defender).
Contact the court.
It is NEVER wise to plea anything without legal advice.
It is not wise at all to go into court for a DWI case without a lawyer. If you qualify (as far as poverty guidelines) for free legal representation then at least get that. If you do not qualify then speak with an attorney and set a payment arrangement but do not go to court without a lawyer for that serious of a charge.
Do not plead guilty because you can’t afford a lawyer. A conviction can affect any future employment, especially with a government agency. You insurance rates will increase as well and that will last for many years. Think of the future!! Find a lawyer. Do not plead guilty without legal representation! You will be paying for it one way or the other for a very long time to come.
Do NOT represent yourself under any circumstances. Get a public defender or borrow the money from someone. Do not cop a plea!
Hey Jude, sounds as if you need a public defender. But if you bonded out of jail? You don’t qualify for a PD. You must hire a Lawyer, better know as liars.
You will find out the Judges, and all the people downtown in the Roman style buildings are the real crooks in society.
I will break it down real simple … If you’re broke, don’t break the law the prisons, and jails are full of people like me and you..
If you’re rich, and break the laws, you can pay your way our of the mess for a while. Bottom line, if you get to drinking too much don’t drive a car.. Never forget this.
Say you would like to have a jury trial, that you can’t afford an attorney, and that’s it. If you don’t qualify for a public defender you can still represent yourself pro per. Pro pers actually do pretty well in jury trials because the jurors tend to feel sorry for them and try to cut them a break (assuming they aren’t obnoxious or belligerent). At 0.08, you have a decent shot at winning.
Because of the seriousness of the charge, and the possibility of jail time, the court will not allow you to defend yourself. If you can prove that you can not afford an attorney, a public defender will be appointed.
Insane. get a lawyer.