Sullolaw-The Arraignment and JURY TRIAL

The Arraignment

Home | Criminal Defense | Traffic Tickets | Business Transactions | Civil Litigation | Real Estate

The first step in resolving your ticket is to show up for your arraignment. During your arraignment, you will appear to court at the designated date and time, the judge will tell you what you have been charged with, and then you will enter a plea of guilty or not guilty. If you enter a plea of not guilty, a future trial court date will be set for you. You must tell the judge whether you want a judge or jury trial.

It is your responsibility to show up to your arraignment at the specified date and time. While the arraignment process appears simple, it often goes awry when people fail to appear on their court dates. Many people simply forget to show up, but others find it difficult to appear due to professional and personal responsibilities. Your arraignment may be scheduled at an odd time for you. For instance, your court date may be set for the middle of the day when it is impossible for you to leave work, or it may be set at night when you have family responsibilities that make it difficult for you to make the trip downtown. If you find yourself in such a situation, you will quickly discover that the court is not sympathetic. If you fail to appear for your arraignment for any reason, the court will issue a warrant for your arrest.

If you have hired Sullo & Sullo to handle your case before your arraignment date, you will not have to worry about any of these potential pitfalls. Our attorneys will appear at your arraignment, plead “not guilty” on your behalf, and set your case for a future jury trial date. You will not have to appear for your arraignment and worry about a potential warrant for your arrest.

JURY TRIAL

“But, wait!” you say. “I don’t want a jury trial! I just want my traffic ticket handled in an efficient manner so it can be dismissed or, alternatively, kept off my driving record.” We know, and believe us when we say we have your best interest at heart. The majority of cases that we set for a jury trial never get argued to a jury. Why? Because most of them are resolved on that date through either a dismissal or a program that keeps the ticket off your record.

At Sullo & Sullo we set the majority of our cases for a jury trial because we feel that is the best chance of getting your case dismissed. Setting the case for jury trial forces the state to prepare a case against you. On the day of trial, the prosecutor must have a witness present whose testimony can prove the case against you beyond a reasonable doubt. If the prosecutor cannot offer a suitable witness or if she feels she does not have a viable case, then she is forced to dismiss the case. If the prosecutor feels that she has sufficient evidence to go forward with your case, then, based upon years of experience, we feel that a jury, rather than a judge, would be a more fair and impartial decider of your case.