Orlando DUI, The Judge for your DUI case

The power that the judge has over your case is considerable.  The judge's role in the case is to decide questions of law and to apply the law as fairly as possible to your case.  For most defendants, the first contact with the judge is at arraignment, which generally marks the first time one comes to court.  Arraignment is nothing more than the judge advising the defendant of the charges that have been filed by the prosecution.  Our office almost always waives your personal appearance at the arraignment so that you do not need to attend this court appearance.  We then set the case down for further proceeding, usually a pre-trial conference date.

The only thing that the judge can do at the arraignment is to accept your plea, set bail and continue the case for further proceedings.  The judge will not entertain any discussions as to the merits of your defense to the charges; those issues will be taken up at a later date in the litigation. 

Later in the course of the case the judge will also hear all pretrial motions that will be filed by our office.  We will conduct legal research and determine what are the appropriate motions to file to best serve your defense.  These may include motions to limit or exclude certain evidence and to discover the evidence that the prosecutor intends to offer against you at trial.  If there are such motions, and usually there are, then these will be later argued by counsel and ruled upon by the judge.  The success or failure of these various motions will, in large part, determine the legal strength or weakness of your case.  Call Now 24/7 and speak with attorney Michael Rathel, (407) 808-3269 cell.