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 Jason K.S. Porter, P.A. 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 The Law Offices of Jason K.S. Porter, P.A., 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

"He is an awesome and very genuine guy."
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!

- A.J.
"They were very kind and extremely knowledgeable AND patient."
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
"Excellent attorneys and staff"
My family has worked with Mr. Porter several times over the years. Each of our experiences were different but the outcome was the same. We all had extremely positive results. I have referred many friends and family to Mr. Porter for assistance, and I will continue to highly recommend the firm to anyone in need of legal services.

- Anonymous
"Thanks for everything."
Jason Porter and his firm were great. From the beginning to the end they helped me with all my needs and fought for me. Thank you!

- Anonymous
"Will definitely use them in the future if need be."
Retain them you’re in great hands! They will get the job done. Got my case dismissed. Will definitely use them in the future if need be.

- T.R.
"Highly recommend him if you need legal advice"
Mr. Porter is an excellent attorney. He helped me and my teenage son through a very difficult situation. He was right there immediately ensuring we had representation. He even called to follow up to ensure we were ok. He is very passionate about helping his clients. He also does not try to charge you if he knows you don’t have a case. He’s very honest and a great person. Highly recommend him if you need legal advice. Kelley

- K.H.
"I really felt like he cared about the outcome for me."
My experience working with Mr. Thacher was that he was incredibly knowledgeable, responsive, and took the time to explain everything to me. He took a process that I was unfamiliar with and helped me understand all my options and be able to make the best decisions in my case, and I really felt like he cared about the outcome for me. I was referred to his law office, and I highly recommend him if you're in need of a defense attorney. He will work towards the best possible outcome for your case and has a lot of experience, so you can feel confident in his advice. The phone call I received today was nothing less than thrilling! Thanks again.

- D. W.
"You really took years of stress off my shoulder and I can finally have clarity in my mind."
Over the past month or so I had made a call to the Law offices of Jason Porter because I needed to resolve an issue that occurred over 7 years ago. Once I explained the situation the secretary sent me directly to Jonathan Thacher. All I can say is that Thacher did an amazing job handling my case and I am extremely happy right now. I no longer have to worry about that problem ever again thanks to Thacher. The work was effective and everything went through perfectly. Thank you so much man you really took years of stress off my shoulder and I can finally have clarity in my mind.

- Joshua S.

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