The Cuff Newspaper

Page 1

The Cuff

A Guide to Arrest & Judicial Process

Produced for the Prince William - Manassas Adult Detention Center Issue 1

have you been arrested?

Important information you should know!

Table of Contents

Prince William-Manassas Adult Detention Center

1 Public Defenders 2 Have You Been Arrested? What’s Next?

5 Navigating the Process

Bail Bonds Explained

6 Surviving Court

The Booking Process

Court Appearance Tips

3

Getting Released From Jail

Don’t Leave Court Unless

14-17 SecciÓn en Espańol 18 Entertainment

Appearing Before a Judge

Fines and Community Service

Sudoku

How To Pay the Bail Bond

7

Child Protective Services

Maze

Professional Bail Bondsman

Sequence of Events

Steps in a Trial

PWC’s Pretrial Release Program

7 Medications Taking Prescription Medication in Jail 8-11 DUI or DWI?

4

Jail & Commisary Accounts

Things You Should Know

Car Impounded?

Magistrate’s Office

4

Pretrail Release

DUI Sentencing

12 Arreseted for Domestic Violence?

Things You Should Know

19 Directory of Bondsmen and Attorneys Calling a Bondsmen 20 Useful Numbers & Maps

Public Defender Who gets a public Defender?

If you are accused of a crime for which you could be sentenced to jail, and you can’t afford to hire an attorney, the court will appoint one to represent you. A lawyer serving in this capacity is commonly referred to as a “public defender.” In Prince William County public defenders are selected from a list of lawyers from the private legal community who volunteer, and are paid for their services with public funds. In order to get a public defender in Prince William County, you will be required to discuss your financial situation with the Clerk of the Court. No documentation is required, however you will be required to answer a series of questions (questionnaire) to determine your ability to pay for a private attorney. If you are considered indigent (unable to pay), you will see a judge for a final disposition and instruction. The judge will have you swear under oath to the truthfulness of your situation, and will direct a public defender to represent you. If you are found guilty, you will be required to pay the amount of your court-appointed lawyer’s fee. Although court-appointed attorneys are paid much less than their private sector counterparts, fees can still cost you hundreds, or possibly thou-

sands of dollars. Be careful, do not give inaccurate information to the court in an effort to get a public defender appointed, you could be charged with the crime of falsifying information. It is important to apply for a public defender at least 10 days in advance of your court date, however, you should go to the Clerk’s office which is located on the second floor of the courthouse - as soon as you know the date of your next court appearance. Applicants should apply at 8:00am as the judge may not be available after that time. Interviews and court appearances are only scheduled in the early morning.

Are court appointed attorneys as good as private attorneys? The obvious advantage of a public defender is there is no cost to you if you are innocent, and substantially smaller fees if you are found guilty. However, a public defender won’t be able to assist you with related civil law or administrative matters (such as driver’s license revocation hearings in a DWI case). You’ll need to hire a separate attorney to help you with these concerns.

Prince William attorneys who volunteer for this program can benefit from the extra case load by getting added trial experience involving a diversity of charged crimes, and also by becoming very faimiliar with what types of settlements (plea bargains) are likely to satisfy the prosecutor and the Court. Private attorneys, though, can have the advantage of lower caseloads, and they typically have more time and resources to spend on your defense. In addition, many private attorneys specialize in certain types of offenses giving them more expertise in building an effective defense. Whether public defender or private attorney, retaining good counsel is a critical first step in the legal proscess.


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