Attending court for drunk driving can be an extremely stressful and worrying experience; not knowing what to prepare for and what will happen is a fear faced by many drivers in this position.
Here at Solicitors On Your Side, we believe that everyone deserves an opportunity to get the correct representation in court, this is why if you have been charged with drunk driving, with a court date coming up, we advise that you contact our solicitors now, for the best chance to come out with a better outcome.
We will guide you through the process thoroughly, explaining what you can expect in court; providing you advice for the best route for you to take.
The process
You will initially find out that you need to attend court by receiving a charge sheet either in the post or at the police station; read the charge sheet thoroughly and find out what you will be facing in court.
The charge sheet will provide you with vital information such as:
- What offence you were charged with.
- The date, time and location of the offence committed.
- Whether you supplied a sample and the level of alcohol in your system at the time.
- The date, time and place of the court hearing.
Do I need to plea guilty or not guilty?
You do not have to plea guilty or not guilty before the hearing date; after you have received the charge sheet, we highly advise you to contact our solicitors, as we will be able to provide you with advice on the best option for your particular case.
Our experienced solicitors provide a free initial consultation, which means that we can give you advice on your case; if you are happy for us to proceed, we will help you out with your case, by making any essential calls and appointing our trustworthy barristers.
What happens when I arrive in court?
Upon arrival, you will go through security checks, and you may be asked to sign in at reception and wait for the usher to escort you to one of the courts.
If you decide to instruct one of our solicitors for help, we will provide you with all the information necessary, enabling you to know what to expect.
Usually, before the court date, we will prepare all the necessary evidence for your case to be taken into court.
If you would like to minimise your driving bans and penalties, we highly advise that you contact one of our experienced solicitors at Solicitors On Your Side.
Pleading guilty or not guilty
Whether you plead guilty or not guilty is entirely up to you, we will provide you with advice on which route will be best for you to take. By immediately pleading guilty, the magistrates will decrease your sentence by 1/3. The reduction will apply to the fine, community order or prison sentence. Prosecution costs are also less if you instantly plead guilty. If you speak to our solicitors, they will advise whether you are better off pleading guilty or not guilty. Pleading not guilty can be risky, it should only be done if there are concrete defences to your case.
Pleading not guilty
If our solicitors believe that you have adequate defences to prove that you are not guilty of the driving offence, you can plead not guilty. During which you will be able to present defences for your drink driving charge, common examples include:
- The incorrect police procedure was conducted.
- The urine of blood samples is not trustworthy.
- Proving that you were not over the alcohol limit when you were caught.
- Proving that you were not driving when you were caught.
- I was not on public roads when this occurred.
Outcome
If you are found not guilty, there will be no prosecution costs, bans or penalties; if you are found guilty after pleading not guilty, you will be sentenced, and no reductions will be applicable as you did not plead guilty as soon as it is possible. If you would like to find out about the consequences of drunk driving, read our article here.
We can help you
Our experts have years of experience in handling motoring offences; no case is too big or too small for us; we will ensure you are provided with all your options, enabling you to come out with the best possible outcome. We understand that being charged with drunk driving can be scary; this is why our solicitors will ensure that the whole process runs as smoothly as possible, enabling you to come out with the best possible outcome.
Contact our Solicitors now!
Contact us now. Solicitors On Your Side can offer you free advice and consultations.
Contact us today by phoning 0330 912 2124, emailing [email protected], or by using our website by filling out an online form.
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