Discovery Process in Stamford DUI Cases
As defined by law, the discovery process in a Stamford DUI case would be to obtain all the information that the state and the police have gathered against the defendant, that they will rely upon or attempt to present at trial, and to subpoena all documents necessary.
To better understand the discovery process as it specifically relates to your Stamford DUI case, you should consult with an experienced attorney as soon as possible. A knowledgeable DUI attorney in Stamford can build a case to best defend against any potential penalties you may be facing.
Initial Steps
The discovery process in Stamford DUI cases begins as soon as an individual is arrested. The first thing a defense attorney will do when they go to court is to request all documents from the prosecutor.
The discovery materials include police reports, witness statements, the breathalyzer print-out sheets, the breathalyzer’s calibration, any blood samples that were taken, any records from the lab or the hospital if a person has been hospitalized, any footage from dash cams or body cams, and an individual’s arrest records in the past if there is anything like that.
Obtaining Evidentiary Documents
The Stamford DUI discovery process has to go through the court, so an individual would not go through law enforcement directly. An individual will be given law enforcement reports and things like that. They are typically by the book.
Subpoenas
A subpoena is a command for a person to show up at a court proceeding or a hearing issued by someone with authority to do so.
In Connecticut, a Commissioner of the Connecticut Courts would issue a subpoena, which would either be a judge, an attorney, or a court clerk.
Subpoenas are used often for DUI cases. An individual could subpoena from the police any records they have of them, any video, and any breathalyzer results related to their arrest. An individual could subpoena witnesses to show up at trial or to hearings and documents from hospitals or facilities. Anything related to a person’s case can be subject to a subpoena.
The relevance of subpoenas to the discovery process of a Stamford DUI case can be best explained by a knowledgeable attorney with experience handling these sorts of cases in Connecticut court.
Importance of Immediate Action
The most important thing for an individual to know about the discovery process of a Stamford DUI case is that evidence can disappear very quickly.
It is local practice of the police to erase their videos after a certain amount of time, so if the defendant, through their attorney, does not move quickly, the videos will not be preserved and some discovery process will be gone forever.