Canton Arraignments
Posted on Mar 19, 2011 10:05am PDT
An arraignment is the first step in the criminal prosecution of a DUI. (Don't forget that there is a separate Department of Driver Services (DDS)
license suspension that must also be dealt with.) At arraignment, the government attorney will often have a plea offer ready for you and will want you to plead guilty. The other option is to plead not guilty. Even if you think you will eventually plead guilty, at the first arraignment, it is usually unwise to enter a guilty plea. In many cases, the prosecuting attorneys who work on behalf of the government will pressure you to enter a guilty plea if you are not represneted by an attorney. Usually they do this even if there is not blood work back from the lab, without them having spoken with the arresting officer, and without anyone having viewed the videotape. The prosecuting lawyer will want you to waive your rights to a trial and enter a guilty plea, which means a conviction for DUI. This should not be done without reviewing the evidence.
A good DUI lawyer will not allow you to plea without knowing what the state's case consists of. If the evidence is weak, the case should be contested. If you find yourself facing a Canton or Cherokee County DUI charge, consult with an attorney as soon as possible. DUI attorney Richard Lawson challenges cases in Cherokee County on a regular basis. Call today for a free consultation.