Articles Posted in Arraignment

When you are arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence in the state of California, chances are you will be arrested and taken into custody. In addition, you will be charged under the California Vehicle Code §§ 23152 and 23153. You will also be given a court date on which you must appear before a Criminal Judge in a courthouse close to your arrest.

This court date is called the Arraignment. At the Arraignment, three things will happen.

1. The Judge will explain the charges against you and the maximum potential sentences that you may receive

When you have been arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence, you will be asked to appear before the Judge in criminal court. This appearance is referred to as the Arraignment. At an arraignment, the Judge will read you your rights and what you have been charged with. The Judge will also go over the maximum penalty allowed by the State of California, for that specific charge.

The prosecutor will also speak to you at the arraignment. He or she will offer you, what is referred to as a Plea Bargain. The plea bargain essentially is an offer of a lesser sentence than the statutory sentence, if you plead guilty that day. Many times people make the mistake of accepting this offer right away. They want the case to be completed, they want to start serving their sentence, paying their fines and doing their community service.

When you have been charged with a criminal offense, it causes you a lot of stress and anxiety. Even being in the courtroom is not a pleasant experience and you want the whole ordeal to be over as soon as possible. Accepting the plea bargain on the very first court date allows for your case to be completed and for you to move on. That is why, many of our clients want to take the offer right off the bat.

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