Henry County State Court Procedures

One of things I teach a new attorneys in my office is that the local customs and procedures are different in every court system. In theory, this shouldn't be the case.  Georgia courts operate under the uniform rules of state, superior, or municipal court.  As a result. court procedures should be the same everywhere.  However this is not the case, and in my opinion, it never will be.

For example, in most counties your attorney can waive your arraignment.  This means he can excuse your from appearing at your initial court date.  Through the waiver of arraignment, he will enter a plea of not guilty in your case.  In effect, he enters your initial plea on paper. 

For years, Henry County State Court judges would not allow a waiver of arraignment.  Now, your Henry County DUI Lawyer can waive your arraignment as long as he uses a special form created by their chief judge.  On the form, the defendant must also sign the waiver.  This can cause tremendous problems when the accused lives out of State or the attorney is hired at the last minute.  The clerk of court will not accept a faxed or scanned signature.  Interestingly, none of these procedures are part of the informal rules of court.

The moral of the story is that you need to hire an attorney that knows the local rules and procedures.  This is just one example of many.  At our office, we have been handling cases in Henry County for almost 20 years.  As a former DUI prosecutor, I know how to defend your case and get the best possible result.