Actions to Take Before a First Stamford DUI Court Date

Facing your first DUI court date can be a difficult experience. As someone with no experience in court, you may wonder what the protocol is, what you should do, and what you should avoid doing. That is where an experienced DUI attorney can help.

Your qualified lawyer can explain what actions to take before a first Stamford DUI court date and can help you navigate the DUI hearing process. Contact an attorney today, and know that you are in capable hands.

Actions to Avoid Before a Court Date

One of the most important actions to take before a first Stamford DUI court date is avoiding driving with a revoked license during that 24-hour period.

A person who is arrested for a Stamford DUI or DWI can make matters worse by either getting a new charge related to alcohol, which in this case if they drive during the 24-hour revocation period would be that type of charge. Getting arrested at all or having any kind of issue is not going to be helpful and is not going to be favorable.

Individuals should also avoid anything alcohol or drug-related. Before their first court date, a person should abstain from drinking at all costs and certainly never should they be driving under the influence in any way. Generally, individuals should avoid anything that can compound their case.

Knowing Where to Know For a First Court Date

One of the most important actions to take before a first Stamford DUI court date is finding out where the hearing will be taking place.

After getting arrested for a Stamford DUI or DWI, a person will be given a summons to appear by the police officer. On that summons to appear, it will have the arrested person’s name and information but it will also have the location of the first court date and the nature of the charges.

That summons to appear will tell the person where they need to go and when they need to be. If it is a Stamford DUI arrest, the first court date will be at the Stamford Courthouse, which is located at 123, Hoyt Street, in Stamford, Connecticut.

When Will the First Court Date Be?

The first court date is not the next day unless the person has been held in custody. The person is held in custody because they cannot post the bond because if the bond has been set and they are not able to post it or have someone post it on their behalf then their next court date will be the next available date.

That may be the next day, if it is during the week but if they are arrested on the weekend, then it may be the first available date that the court is open so if the arrest occurs Friday night, a person may be held in custody all the way up to Monday morning, but in no event will they be held any longer than that without first going to court.
On the other hand, if the person does post bond or is able to post bond before the court date arises then they will be given a specific court date and summons to appear, which will usually be somewhere between 5 to 10 days after the date of the arrest.

Why Would Someone Need to Install a Breathalyzer in Their Car

A person may have to install a breathalyzer or ignition interlock device in their vehicle if:

They are ordered to do so by the DMV after a DMV per se hearing
If the judge orders it as a condition of the person’s release while the DUI case is pending
If a person is convicted for a DUI or DWI, the person will have to install an ignition interlock device or breathalyzer device in their vehicle as a condition of the person’s penalty or term of probation

Importance of Contacting a Stamford DUI Attorney

A DUI can affect the person’s ability to drive and the person’s ability to drive can affect how they are able to work and live their lives. But beyond all of that, fighting a DUI charge is a costly and confusing process. There are a lot of different steps. There are two different proceedings, the DMV per se proceedings and then the criminal court proceedings. There are conditions that may be put in place by the court and there are services that the person may be required to do.

An experienced DUI lawyer will know which actions to take before a first Stamford DUI court date. Having an attorney there to guide the person arrested for a Stamford DUI or DWI is important so that they can make the best use of all of their rights and opportunity and arrive at the most desirable resolution in the most efficient way possible.