Lexington DUI Court Date

An arrested individual can find information about their court date at their bond hearing. They should be given a bond form at the hearing, and the judge is supposed to tell them during the bond hearing when their first court date will be. The court date will likely be written on the ticket, but it should also be on the bond form provided after the bond hearing. Bond forms tell people either when their first appearance is or when their bench trial will be, as summary courts initially schedule everything as bench trials or pretrial conferences. Not only should the bond judge tell them when the next court date will be, but the bond form will list the date and address of the next court date.

A seasoned lawyer could help you prepare for your Lexington DUI court date. Get in touch with an experienced DUI attorney today.

Changing Court Date

It can be difficult for someone representing themselves to change their court date and be granted a continuance. Attorneys with scheduling conflicts are often more successful in obtaining continuances than people who represent themselves.

The South Carolina Supreme Court has a set of rules stating that certain courts take precedence over others. If an individual has, a DUI in a summary court (magistrate municipal court), but their lawyer has already been scheduled to represent another defendant for a higher charge in general sessions, that general sessions court takes precedence. The lawyer will simply file a continuance to resolve the scheduling conflict.

There are many people who, for reasons like scheduling conflicts or lack of transportation, do not appear at their court dates. They are either tried in their own absence or issued a failure to appear bench warrant, both of which are significant problems that people often deal with.

Does a Defendant Need to Appear in Court Even if They Have a Lawyer?

People still need to appear in court even if they have a lawyer. Appearing before a judge is an absolute right. If someone does not appear after receiving a summary court summons, notice, or subpoena, problems could arise from being tried in their own absence. If they have a lawyer, their lawyer can still represent them at their Lexington DUI court date. However, a summons, notice, or subpoena is a court order mandating that the individual come to court, so they should also be there.

Consequences of Missing a Court Date

If someone misses their court date, the judge could issue a bench warrant for the individual’s arrest. The consequences of missing a court date can be extreme as people risk either losing their cases or having a bench warrant for their arrest issued.

Even if an individual is not in the state that their court date was in, it could be reported back to their home state, resulting in collateral consequences on their driver’s license. Depending on the type of warrant issued and the type of charge pending, it could even lend to the person being extradited from one state to another. The consequences can be negative and could follow them back to their home state. Speak with a knowledgeable lawyer for more information.

Preparing for a DUI Court Date in Lexington

Before a defendant’s Lexington DUI court date, their lawyer should meet with them to discuss the case and explain their constitutional rights, possible defenses, and sentencing ranges for the charge. An attorney could also tell the defendant what the next steps are, answer the defendant’s questions, and, hopefully, put the defendant at ease about the procedure and the charges they are facing. Lawyers should ensure defendants understand as much as possible about the charge, what to expect as the case goes forward, and what could happen in the case with no guarantees.

To prepare for court, a defendant should write themselves notes so they do not forget critical details as important things happen. Sharing those details with their lawyer can help solidify a chronological timeline of what happened and provide a summary of events so that the lawyer and defendant can be on the same page and as prepared as possible, regarding the alleged facts and circumstances of the case.