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    Stamford DUI Court Dates

    A defendant can find information regarding their Stamford DUI court date in two different places. The first is on the paperwork they received from the police. Before a defendant walks out of the police station, the police will assign them a court date. A look on Connecticut’s judicial website, www.jud-ct.gov, will also display all hearing dates.

    If you are looking for more information regarding your Stamford DUI court date, it is important to consult with a Stamford DUI attorney as soon as possible. A seasoned attorney can help gather the information relevant to the case and assess the situation further.

    Necessity of Appearing in Court

    The judge and the prosecutor will want to see the person in court because appearing in court is often viewed as part of the punishment for being arrested. The defendant needs to be there even if they must take time off work.

    The judge and the court staff will need information from the defendant about what exactly happened, and if they need to answer questions under oath or sign forms. For that reason, the individual must be present at the court date.

    Failing to Appear

    If a defendant does not appear at their DUI court date in Stamford, two things will happen. The first thing is that the judge can order that a letter be sent to a defendant’s house warning the defendant that if they miss court again, there are going to be consequences. This is called a Bail Commissioner’s Letter.

    The second thing that can happen to a defendant is the court can order that they be arrested. The court can order a warrant for their arrest on the spot, and if the defendant is found by the police after that, the police will arrest them just like they were arrested for the DUI. However, they will now have a failure to appear charge.

    Changing the Court Date

    There are some options to moving court dates, but if the defendant lives out of state, they need to go through the inconvenience to come back to Connecticut. The defense attorney can ask the court to move the court date, but the courts restrict the time between the arrest and the defendant’s court date.

    Defendants can change their Stamford DUI court date if they submit a request to the court. Courts do not like to change court dates, but a request by an attorney is something the courts will accommodate most of the time.

    If a warrant is issued for a defendant’s arrest in Connecticut because they did not appear for court, it will go into a national database. If there is a warrant for their arrest, and if they are pulled over for a speeding ticket in their home state, for example, those police can detain them for an outstanding warrant and they can be extradited back to Connecticut to face the charge.

    Preparing for Court

    It is important to dress appropriately before showing up to a Stamford DUI court date. An individual should be dressed in business casual clothing.

    It is always better to prepare for court. For an individual to be at their best, they should get a good night’s sleep and show up early for court. The defendant should make sure their attorney knows as much information as possible about their case to defend them properly.

    An individual should know that they are going to have to pay for any damage that was done to other people or to their property, and that they may be ordered to seek treatment and perform community service. The court may order the defendant to be evaluated for substance abuse or alcohol abuse treatments as the case progresses.

    Initial Appearance

    An initial appearance is the first time that a case is called to appear in court. The defense attorney will let the court know officially that they will be representing the defendant, and that they need a copy of all the reports that are available. If the judge is going to order any conditions upon the defendant, it will be done at this time.

    If the defendant is released on bond, the initial appearance at court would be three or four weeks. If the defendant is being held on bond, then it will be within 48 hours.

    Initial appearances take place in Stamford on the first floor of the courthouse at 123 Hoyt Street.

    Presiding Over the Appearance

    The parties that would preside over an individual’s initial appearance would be the prosecutor or judge and the defendant’s attorney. There may also be up to 100 other people in the courtroom.

    The role of the judge is to impose any conditions they think are necessary, such as counseling, and to protect any victims that are involved in the case.

    This will be the same judge that remains throughout the remainder of the case. There are days when judges are out of the courthouse so a different judge may be there that day, but if the case goes to trial, it will typically be assigned to a different judge.