I was caught in school with possession of 1 gram of marijuana, and i'm goign to court in 6 days, Jan 6, 2005. Everyones telling me that i shouldn't be going to court over this, especailly since they made that new law in Chicago too. Can anyone help me? What should i be aware of in court?
Alcohol & Drugs: MIP, MIC, Intoxication Possession of 1 gram of cannibus
- Thread Starter R_C_
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Talk to the public defender or legal aid lawyer. Possession is possession, and it's a criminal offence. Whether you go to court or not is inconsequential to the fact you committed and were found to be committing a criminal offence.
When you at the court house you'll generally wait outside the court room. The particular court room will be on your appearance notice letter, or you can find out directly from the court clerk. Arrive at least 30 minutes before court is expected to start. Wear a suit and tie, in the least wear a good shirt and tie. Get a hair cut, brush your teeth, make sure you look extremely well presented. Do not wear your ball caps or homey-ghetto cloths if you have any. No track suits. Please at least wear underwear.
Go talk to the public defender. If the cop that busted you is there ignore him. Hopefully your case will get heard quickly, especially if it's only for 1 gram. If not expect to be there most of the day. Courts usually like to get the easiest out of the way first...such as expected adjournments or petty cases where the criminal is likely to plead guilty.
Let the public defender or your lawyer represent you, and just basically take your lumps and learn from this. This isn't a HUGE deal, but it could have a profound affect on your ability of obtain employment regardless if you are a minor or not. And don't think that just because you turn 18 the slate is clean...it's not. That's just the age that your youth records become eligible to be sealed. But they can be unsealed by court order at any time. For all intents and purposes it's like you have no criminal past.
When you at the court house you'll generally wait outside the court room. The particular court room will be on your appearance notice letter, or you can find out directly from the court clerk. Arrive at least 30 minutes before court is expected to start. Wear a suit and tie, in the least wear a good shirt and tie. Get a hair cut, brush your teeth, make sure you look extremely well presented. Do not wear your ball caps or homey-ghetto cloths if you have any. No track suits. Please at least wear underwear.
Go talk to the public defender. If the cop that busted you is there ignore him. Hopefully your case will get heard quickly, especially if it's only for 1 gram. If not expect to be there most of the day. Courts usually like to get the easiest out of the way first...such as expected adjournments or petty cases where the criminal is likely to plead guilty.
Let the public defender or your lawyer represent you, and just basically take your lumps and learn from this. This isn't a HUGE deal, but it could have a profound affect on your ability of obtain employment regardless if you are a minor or not. And don't think that just because you turn 18 the slate is clean...it's not. That's just the age that your youth records become eligible to be sealed. But they can be unsealed by court order at any time. For all intents and purposes it's like you have no criminal past.
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No, you are mixing up several things:
-You don't need to be arrested to be tried for a crime. Be happy that you were not arrested. An arrest shall only make sure that the accused will stand trial. If the system trusts you to come to court on your own, it will not arrest you. If you fail to go to court, the judge can and probably will issue a bench warrant for your arrest. Then you will go to jail.
-The Miranda warning has nothing to do with either an arrest or a trial. It only says that before a law enforcement officer interviews you to the crime you are accused of, they shall read you these rights. If they don't they are not able to use what you said in the interview in court. They still can arrest you and try you in court, though. In your case it is pretty irrelevant what you say in an interview. The main evidence against you is the cannabis.
-You don't need to be arrested to be tried for a crime. Be happy that you were not arrested. An arrest shall only make sure that the accused will stand trial. If the system trusts you to come to court on your own, it will not arrest you. If you fail to go to court, the judge can and probably will issue a bench warrant for your arrest. Then you will go to jail.
-The Miranda warning has nothing to do with either an arrest or a trial. It only says that before a law enforcement officer interviews you to the crime you are accused of, they shall read you these rights. If they don't they are not able to use what you said in the interview in court. They still can arrest you and try you in court, though. In your case it is pretty irrelevant what you say in an interview. The main evidence against you is the cannabis.
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