Arraignment Hearing Serving Families Throughout Jacksonville For Over 25 Years

Jacksonville DUI Arraignment Hearing Attorney

Don't Face Your Charges Alone - Call (904) 701-0591

In the state of Florida, all defendants facing DUI charges will typically have their arraignment hearing within one month of their arrest. This is a mandatory step in the criminal process. If you do not already have an attorney, during the arraignment the court will ask whether or not you need the court to appoint one on your behalf.

During a typical arraignment hearing, the criminal court judge will do the following:

Read the defendant his or her criminal charges
Ask you, the defendant, how you plead – guilty, not guilty, or no contest
Decide if the bail amount should be changed
Announce any information of upcoming court proceedings

If you plead either "guilty" or "no contest," you will be asked to sign a waiver before the court imposes a sentence. It is important to note that pleading "no contest" is different from "guilty," however, both will have the same effect. Pleading "no contest" is simply stating that you do not admit guilt, but that you are facing overwhelming evidence and you do not think you can emerge victorious. Regardless, you will be sentenced. To guide you through this process, get in touch with a Jacksonville DUI lawyer from our firm.

Call Problems? Pick Porter!™ at (904) 701-0591 to begin discussing your legal options today.

Problems with the Florida Misdemeanor Court System

In 2011, the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL) published a study which looked into the misdemeanor court system in Florida. The publication titled "Three-Minute Justice: Haste and Waste in Florida's Misdemeanor Courts" found that a harrowing 3 percent of all adults in the state pass through the courts on a yearly basis. They, however, are not always greeted with a just system. In fact, the study found that an overwhelming amount of adults resolved their case without legal counsel – a total of 70 percent of cases being resolved at arraignment.

In the study, these arraignments which decided the future of defendants were anything but comprehensive; in fact, many lasted shorter than three minutes (82 percent), with many defendants simply pleading guilty. The worst part? The study found that less than 50 percent of the cases where a defendant pleaded guilty involved a trial judge who directly informed the defendants of the rights that they were waiving – including their right to appeal.

Statistics such as this underline the need for aggressive legal counsel from the very beginning of the criminal process. This is simply not the time to waive your right to legal representation. This study also noted that defendants that either hired counsel or who had counsel appointed for them were less likely to enter a plea of guilty. When it's your future on the line, don't you deserve a fighting chance? By getting the involvement of our firm from the very beginning of your case, we can help ensure that you are protected. We will appear with you during the arraignment, utilizing our vast experience to help you fight for the outcome that you truly deserve.

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Pick Porter™ Today!

At Problems? Pick Porter!™, we assist clients charged with DUI charges in the Jacksonville, Florida area. As private lawyers with approximately 100 years of combined legal experience, it is our experience that the earlier you involve an attorney in your defense the better the resolution of the case. An attorney may be able to obtain speedy dismissal or reduction of charges by conference with a prosecutor prior to charging.

You are encouraged to contact us immediately for a free initial consultation. **Consultation fees may apply to family law consultations.

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Serving Jacksonville, FL Since 2004

"Jonathan made us feel comfortable and confident that he would work diligently on our behalf."
The purpose of this letter is to express our appreciation for Jonathan Thacher's legal services associated with our daughter's case. Jonathan was and is always available for questions. If we left a message, he would always get back to us in a prompt fashion. It isn't easy to find such a capable lawyer who seems to be in the right job. He is caring and very attentive to us. No questions went unanswered. Jonathan made us feel comfortable and confident that he would work diligently on our behalf. In the end, we felt blessed that we had the right person to help us when we felt lost. I can't tell you how important it is to choose the right lawyers for your case. He certainly lifted a weight off our shoulder to know that Jonathan and the firm's staff were working for us and a good conclusion to our problem.

- Edward & Sondra A.
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Just wanted to say thank you to Attorney Carlucci and paralegal Ms. Rasulova. They were very kind and extremely knowledgeable AND patient. Hopefully I will not need an Attorney in the future, BUT if I do it will be Pick Porter.

- M
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I had the pleasure of working with Attorney Jonathan D.Thacher! He is an awesome and very genuine guy. Thanks again, Law Offices of Jason K.S. Porter!

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Attentive, patient and caring service by skilled attorneys. Richard Watson and Jason Porter are absolutely first-rate!

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Mr. Porter and his staff were wonderful. They treated me like family and did not stereotype me. They fought a long and hard case for me and got the best results! Now I'm skippin down the road with no worries, back to regular life!

- Calvin W.
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If you're reading this then it is not too late!! I too spent countless time searching for the right law firm for me personally and let me tell you that Jason Porter and associates have to be the best around town!! They will work with you and fight for you. If you have any problems, Pick PORTER. I promise you won't regret it!!!

- Boss N.
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I have always been anti-lawyers, but I love this law firm. I give them 5-stars! The lawyer in my case was Nicole Carlucci and her assistant Brenda. They would always take the time to talk to me and help me to understand whatever questions I had. She actually cared about my situation and there aren't enough stars for them. Brenda was very helpful. I would most definitely use them again and I recommend them to anyone that wants someone to fight for you in court. Thank you!

- Diego R.
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Jon Lorimier is an amazing and knowledgeable lawyer. He helped me out. Highly recommend.

- Cynthia J.

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