Court dates- Fairfax DUI lawyer treats them akin to emergency rooms Colosseum image copyright Jon Katz

Court dates – Fairfax DUI lawyer on court as a battlefield and emergency room

Court dates for DWI and criminal cases are not exercises in rarefied, genteel lawyering, but are non-physical combat for obtaining the best possible results for defendants whose liberty and reputation are on the line.  As a Fairfax DUI lawyer, I know the importance for my clients to be aware that unexpected things can happen in court — both good and bad — and that the best response to the unexpected is not to curse it but to use unanticipated benefits to the defense advantage, and to neutralize, redirect and/or blunt curve balls.

Battle on criminal and DUI court dates can be like a gladiator fight

The Gladiator with Russell Crowe — and revisiting the Roman Coliseum this past summer — are so meaningful to me, because they epitomize knowing that court dates can have all sorts of surprises, and that the defense can obtain victory even if the law, procedure, judicial rulings and odds seem at first blush to be more in the prosecutor’s favor.

A DUI and criminal defendant have three choices on a trial date

The choices of a DUI and criminal defendant on trial court dates are to proceed to trial, negotiate a settlement (or plead no contest or guilty without an agreement), or seek a postponement. The criminal defendants’ default must always be readiness to proceed to trial, because case negotiations must always proceed from a position of strength, and in-court trial date continuances are not guaranteed.

How does a criminal or DUI defendant feel grounded in the alien territory of court?

Many criminal defendants get so anxious about court dates that they lose sleep several nights as they approach the court date. That need not be. While anxiety can set in for criminal and DUI defendants proceeding to court with little or no experience being in court, all of us can get grounded by referencing our experience dealing with succeeding in new territory, for instance through victory on the opposing athletic team’s turf, through succeeding soon after starting a new job, and through having a great time on vacation in a totally new location. Rather than being anxious about court, the criminal and DUI defendant can welcome each court date as an opportunity to obtain success for themselves. The more faith the defendant has in his or her lawyer, the more the defendant will feel grounded, and will be able to work as a powerful team with his or her lawyer.

Fairfax DUI lawyer Jonathan L. Katz pursues your best defense against felony, misdemeanor and DWI prosecutions. Jon Katz will be delighted to schedule a free in-person confidential consultation to discuss your court-pending criminal case, by calling his staff at 703-383-1100 to schedule an appointment.