Domestic Violence Arraignment

Do You Need an Attorney at your Arraignment?  YES!

Here is a list of bad reasons to go to your arraignment without an attorney: 1) You want to wait and see what the prosecutor is willing to offer.[codepeople-post-map] * Prosecutors will give you worse plea bargains when you have no attorney. * Judges will issue restraining orders that may bar you from your home or children.   2) You want to save money * The judge may set bail and you may be taken into custody, causing you to pay for bail * You may pay more money for bail because there is no attorney to argue for you   3) You just want to get it over with: * You may be forced to sit in court all day only to be ordered back for another court date. *Trying to plead guilty to the court will cause you to be on probation longer

True Story

A distraught mother wanted to pay the bail company $10,000 to bail out her son out of jail.  Thank God she spoke to me first.  I reviewed the allegations with her and visited her son in jail that night.  After getting a better picture of the case I told her to not post the bond and wait until the arraignment as I believed it was a misdemeanor charge at best thereby warranting a $2,000 bail.  On the day of her son’s arraignment her son was released with no charges being filed.  I saved her $10,000! [codepeople-post-map]