Darien DUI Court Dates

When an individual is first arrested, whether it is by being given a summons or by being taken down to the station and booked, they are going to be given paperwork that states their first court date.

If, for whatever reason, they do not have that paperwork, they can also look online on Connecticut’s judicial branch website for information. Once an individual’s case is available online, they will be able to search their name and find their court date.

To best understand the process associated with your DUI court date in Darien, it is important to contact a lawyer immediately. An experienced DUI attorney in Darien can help you navigate the legal landscape as effectively as they can.

DUI Court Process Expectations

Courts consider DUIs to be dangerous and they do not want people to get hurt so they are going to keep them on a pretty tight leash as far as they cannot violate any other laws, even motor vehicle laws, during the pendency of the case. They need to make sure they follow any DMV mandates about suspensions and breathalyzers in the car. The court will keep an eye on those things to make sure the person remains in compliance throughout the whole case.

Changing the Court Date

Most courthouses in Connecticut will most likely be flexible for the first court date for a Darien DUI. This is because the person is not able to influence what that is. In most cases, the person can call the clerk’s office and ask for a first-time date change request.

The only way that changing the Darien DUI court date may not be possible is if the person does not post bond and is currently locked up. After the arrest, the individual will be taken to court on the first business day regardless if they are being held by the police.

Appearing in Court

An individual needs to appear in court for their Darien DUI charge so that the case can move forward. The person charged with the crime will have to be there. Many times, if there is a program involved, they will have to be there in person to swear to the application for the program.

If there is an offer being made, the lawyer will need the person there and available to let the judge know whether or not they want to accept it.

If a person does not appear in court, they potentially could face re-arrest, meaning that since they failed to appear and they were under court order to be there, by not showing up, they are disobeying a court order.

The judge can actually order that any bond amount they paid be forfeited and that they have to now be ordered to be re-arrested and potentially face another criminal charge called failure to appear, along with a new bond to post. It is crucial that an individual attends their Darien DUI court date to prevent any of these further charges.

Out of State Individuals

If an individual is from out of state, they would usually still have to appear at the same time any given day. Usually, it is between 9:00 and 10:00 AM, but they would have the same options to contact the clerk’s office to, at least for the first time the case is down on the docket, change that first court date.

What Happens to Out of State Defendants That Miss a Court Date?

Someone from out of town would have the same consequences for missing their court date as someone in state. They could potentially be ordered re-arrested and if there is some reason that they miss a court date related to their travel. If they lived far enough away to have to take a flight and the flight is canceled and they could not get another one, they may, at a later time, be able to show the court proof of that and be able to get their re-arrest vacated so they do not face that additional charge.
In some cases, a warrant for a failure to appear will be extraditable, especially if it is to a neighboring state. They might be able to extradite the person back to Connecticut to answer for their failure to appear or, in other cases even if it is not extraditable, any time any local law enforcement where they live runs the person’s name, they are going to see an open warrant out of Connecticut that shows that they are wanted.

Preparing for Court

To best prepare for court in a Darien DUI case, an individual should first talk to their attorney. They will know the most about the case.

Other ways an individual should prepare is to make sure they are taking all of the attorney’s recommendations. This could include things like seeing a specific treatment provider, going to any court-ordered treatment, or preparing materials for their attorney. Complying with their attorney will give an individual the best position to defend their client.

Lawyer’s Advice

Before their first court date, a lawyer should give their client the lay of the land and explain what role everyone has in the court and what they should expect.

These could be things like the necessity for upfront treatment, or the possibility of getting a continuance. Further, the lawyer may plan on applying for a program or talking to a prosecutor about an offer or if there is going to be a guilty plea.

In any instance, before every court date, the lawyer and client should touch base so that the client knows exactly what to expect and what is going to happen on that particular court date.