It’s important to put your best foot forward when you go to court. In my career, I’ve seen thousands of people pass through various courtrooms. I’ve seen people make things worse for themselves by arguing with judges (bad plan). And I’ve seen people show up drunk (even worse plan).
Here are my tips for a smooth day in court:
Show up.
Okay, I stole this life lesson from when I was a burger-flipping teenager. When you appear in court, like when you work the counter at Burger King, step one to success if showing up when you’re supposed to. There’s no better way to get on a judge’s bad side than missing a court date.
Missing a court date doesn’t make the case go away. It doesn’t make any statute of limitations run, either. Miss enough court dates and the judge will just throw you in jail until your trial. The best plan is to show up when you’re supposed to and deal with it.
And show up early.
On my first trip to the Roscommon courthouse, I followed my GPS directions to the courthouse address. I took the last turn, and instead of finding a courthouse I saw…trees and a lake. I figured out my error and made it to court, but only because I gave myself extra time. Another trip to court was delayed because a bird flew into my car windshield and I had to stop to clean it off. Always plan to arrive at court 30 minutes early. You’ll save yourself a lot of stress on what is already a stressful day.
Dress up.
Looking good shows the judge that you’re taking things seriously.
I had one client who showed up looking so professional that two different judges, on two different occasions, looked at him and asked him if his client was ready for the hearing. Be that guy.
Turning your favorite, black, rock band t-shirt inside out is not dressing up.
And don’t wear a Budweiser t-shirt or a hat with a marijuana leaf on it, either. Yes, I’ve seen both. If you have to go to Goodwill and buy a dress shirt and pants that are too large for you and looks ridiculous, do it. Get a hair cut. Shave. Showing the judge you care about court will get you much farther than just saying it.
Answer questions honestly and concisely.
If you’re in court for your sentencing hearing, it is not the time to offer up excuses. There is one speech for a sentencing hearing. It goes: I know I screwed up, I’m sorry I screwed up, I’ve learned from screwing up.
The professional-looking client that I mentioned earlier was convicted of drunk driving. After offering an honest apology to the judge and some insight into his behavior, the judge was so impressed that he sentenced the man to only pay fines and costs. He is the only drunk driving client I’ve ever had who escaped probation after a guilty plea. Yes, showing up and being contrite makes that big of a difference.
Check in with Your Attorney the Day Before Court.
Your attorney needs to know that you know it’s your court date. If a client doesn’t show, it’s a lot easier to say “I just talked to him yesterday, and I have no idea why he’s not here,” than it is to say, “I don’t know, your honor. The client hasn’t returned my calls for three days.” The judge will wait 15 minutes for the first person; she will bench warrant the second person.
Your attorney can only help you if you help yourself. That means staying in touch with your attorney and making sure you’re on the same page about upcoming court dates.
“Getting this thing thrown out” isn’t really a thing.
Judges don’t decide what charges to file in court. Prosecutors do that. Asking the judge to dismiss your charges at the arraignment or a pre-trial is a non-starter, except under very specific circumstances that you would have to work with your attorney to bring to the court’s attention in a separate proceeding. Don’t ask the judge to decide your guilt or innocence, unless it’s your trial date and you’ve opted for a bench trial.
Don’t say too much at your arraignment.
Your arraignment is not the time to plead your case to the judge. Neither is your pre-trial hearing. The judge cannot decide if the charges against you are bogus, but the prosecutor can listen to everything you say and use it against you later.
But say enough at your plea.
When you’re pleading guilty, just tell the judge what you did that makes you guilty. This is not the time to convince the judge that you didn’t really do it. If you try to beat around the bush, the judge won’t accept your plea and she’ll set the case for trial. Plus, she’ll remember that you tried to plead guilty but you weren’t willing to say what you did, and that won’t help you later on.
If you’re appearing in Grand Traverse…
There are two courthouses, the old, red one and the new, silver one. Make sure you go to the right one. There is security, so leave your cell phone in the car and don’t wear jewelry; these things only create hassle at the door. The courthouse parking lot is always full but you can park in the government center lot south of the red courthouse. There is parking on the street north of the courthouse but it’s metered. If you’re in District Court, make sure you check in with the District Court clerks through the doors to the left when you arrive.