How to Emotionally Handle A Pending Criminal Charge

When a person is charged with committing a crime, the criminal process itself can become the punishment 

At our office, we generally handle traffic-related misdemeanors, such as driving under the influence.   

That being said, our clients suffer the emotional burden of being charged and the stress therein.  The consequences of a DUI in Georgia can be severe; however focusing on negative thoughts will not help.  

The way to emotionally handle a pending criminal charge is to take steps to make sure your attorney makes the best presentation of your case.

For those who are innocent of the charge, it is important to prepare your attorney to present the best defense.  Make an outline of the facts and provide your attorney a full summary of the events that led to the arrest.  Also, provide your attorney any exhibits that would help prove your innocence. 

For people who are interested in entering into a plea bargain, preparation is just as important. For example, insofar as driving under the influence is concerned, there are many things an accused person can do to help their Georgia DUI Attorney make the best presentation.

We routinely tell our clients to complete the following things before attending court:

• Attend DUI School
• Perform Community Service
• Have a Clinical Evaluation for Alcohol and Drug Dependency
• Attend a Victim Impact Panel
• Save Money to Pay a Fine

Getting things done before going to court shows the prosecutor and the judge that a person has taken their case seriously and is remorseful for his or her mistake.

Emotionally, having a list of tasks to do helps our clients feel as if they can contribute to their own defense.  It also helps for people to see that there can be a favorable resolution of their case.  

Our advice to complete certain tasks is sometimes misconstrued by some of our clients as an admission of guilt.  It is not.  It is merely a recognition that people may settle their cases with an agreement that will invariably include those tasks.

If a person wants to fight their case and does not want to do our suggested list, that is perfectly fine. 

The most important thing is to not become paralyzed with fear after an arrest.  Our Georgia DUI Attorneys are here to help.