Los Angeles Criminal Lawyers Blog
When people have been charged with a criminal case, one of the biggest worries is appearing in court on the scheduled date. If you fail to appear on your scheduled date, it can result in a bench warrant which will lead to your arrest. Fortunately, if you have hired a California Criminal Defense Attorney to represent you, in most cases you will not have to be bothered with appearing in court.
Once a Criminal Defense attorney is hired, they will be able to appear on your behalf in front of the judge under certain circumstances. When an attorney appears on your behalf, it is called appearing 977 (after the appropriate California Penal code section). An attorney is authorized to appear on your behalf in any misdemeanor case, unless explicitly ordered otherwise by the Judge. For felony cases, however, the person accused must appear before the Judge unless granted permission to have an attorney appear on their behalf.
Hiring an attorney not only ensures that you are getting experienced and knowledgeable defense, but its alleviates the hassle and stress of having to appear in court. With work and social obligations it is hard to clear out a whole weekday morning to sit and wait until you are called before the Judge, a process that can take two to three hours.
An attorney is familiar with the courtroom process, the Judges and the prosecution and has priority in making appearance before those that are unrepresented. You not only have less anxiety knowing that your case is trusted in the hands of an experienced professional, but the whole process will not have you waiting hours on end for an outcome. Make the smart decision and make the process as easy as possible, seek the help of an attorney.