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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.

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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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Hear From Our Happy Clients

Serving Jacksonville, FL Since 2004

    "When I first spoke to Mr. Watson on the phone, I knew we would be in great hands!"
    After our meeting in person, I was absolutely pleased in choosing The Porter Law Firm to represent my Deaf sister in her auto accident injury case!!! We look forward to working with Mr. Watson...who is a very, very kind, respectful, and informative Attorne
    - S.N.
    "They were professional, attentive, and got me an acceptable settlement in a timely manner."
    I used them for a personal injury case. They were professional, attentive, and got me an acceptable settlement in a timely manner. This helped greatly to get me back on my feet financially. Thank you very much.
    - Jonathan E.
    "Jason is the best lawyer in Jacksonville."
    Jason is the best lawyer in Jacksonville. I have had the pleasure of having him represent a family member and his work was above and beyond what any other attorney would have done. He will work with you where ever he can to get the best outcome. You can trust what he says. Very high ethics .I have called him my Perry Mason, and I really mean it. If you want THE BEST trust Jason Porter, he's real.
    - Carla B.
    "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.
    "This Legal Team is Wonderful!"
    One night I was awaken by a phone call that my son was in jail, I thought I was having a nightmare. I knew the charges were false but knew we faced a difficult road ahead to prove his innocence. The charges against him could have been enough to have caused him to lose his children, as well as his job and ruin any further career opportunities. He could have served time and had a felony on his record. . We were so lucky to find the law offices of Jason Porter. They came highly recommended and were rated high on the AVVO site. We were scheduled for an appointment the day we called and greeted openly but candidly with the facts of what could happen. He already had the police report and had a pretty good picture of what happen before we even opened our mouth. Jason put us at ease and explained how things would work and assured my son he would do his best to protect him and his good name and to get the charges dropped or reduced to the minimum he assured him he would not make him settle for something he did not do. He was not afraid to take it to trail if that’s what needed to happen. We felt good after hearing his trial record. Gary Shumard also in the office was involved in the day to day dealing of the court appearances and trying to keep it out of trial. He spoke for my son and there were several court appearances. My son was able to work and carry on his normal day because of Gary. During the six month process my son only had to attend one court appearance and that was only because the other side tried again to file additional fraudulent charges against him however, they were immediately dismissed thanks to Gary. In the end they wanted to drop the charges to a misdemeanor; but my son didn’t want anything on his record because he was not guilty! Gary had reviewed their evidence and my son’s evidence and in the end, after six months Gary was able to keep my son’s a record clean. Gary fought hard, gathering evidence and challenging the opposing side with professionalism and knowledge. I feel sure that due to his expertise we were able to avoid a long drawn out trail and more legal expenses. Gary works hard and is at the court house it seems almost every day working for his clients, he is a dedicated attorney with knowledge, and proficiency in handling the law he gathers evidence astutely and reviews both sides he has the ability to present his findings in a very comfortable but clever way. The day the findings came down I think he was almost as happy as we were. He had a right to be it’s like climbing a mountain and getting to the top you know you deserve the view. This law office is wonderful from the secretary who answers the phone, the legal assistants, and everyone in between. We trust this law firm and believe in them with any legal matter they we may have ever!! Richard & Diane Bornstein
    - Diane and Richard
    "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.
    "Jonathan Thacher was definitely there when I needed a lawyer."
    I am so incredibly grateful for picking Porter. Jonathan Thacher was definitely there when I needed a lawyer.
    - Sharon F.
    "Thank you guys for a job well done."
    Very attentive to the needs of my case. This firm was prompt and on point with the affairs surrounding my case and paid attention to the special details. Overall, I received the results I was hoping for and expecting. Thank you guys for a job well done.
    - James M.

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