I was charged with cc abuse, and debit card abuse, the only thing that was different my bond was smaller then my friends, my friend had about 7 credit cards, he was trying to get some cigarettes, and I was in the truck outside with his friend I don’t even know him, then his friend told me to go check up on him, so I went to the store, and told him to harry up, but he kept on trying, people that work there called the police, and all 3 of us went to jail, his friend was only charged for the stolen car.
All this happened 5 minutes after they picked me up, because the store was around the corner, so I didn’t even know he was going to go try the cards he had.
I only have 2 mistameener charges, way back fin 2005, never been in trouble for something like this.
I’m also taking medication for bi-polar, and schizophrenia.
What should I expect, and how does it work, can they take me to jail on my hearing court, or I could take it to trial???
* 1 day ago
Additional Details
My charge it a state jail felony.
So I can’t say what I have to say in hearing court? or they give me a chance to tell my story?
Chosen Answer:
First and most importantly, you need to listen to your lawyer. You may be assigned your lawyer at this hearing, if it is what’s called an arraignment (that’s pronounced “ah-RAIN-ment”) and you’ll be asked to plead guilty, not guilty, or no contest. If that’s what it is, all you need to do is listen to and understand the charges against you, and enter a plea. If you don’t enter a plea, a plea of not guilty will be entered on your behalf.
If it’s a preliminary hearing, that means the court will be taking evidence against you to decide if there is any merit to the case against you. If that’s what’s happening, let your lawyer do all the talking — you only talk to your lawyer unless she instructs you otherwise.
If it’s a bail hearing, your lawyer should explain why you should be allowed out on your own recognizance — meaning that you can be trusted to show up for trial on your own and to not commit any other crimes in the meantime. Given that you have some mental health issues, that’s a concern the court will want to address, so you may need to explain that you do faithfully take your medication and that your condition is under control as long as you do that. Again, follow your lawyer’s lead here.
To make your lawyer be as effective as possible, tell her everything. Explain that you’re on medication for bipolar and schizophrenic disorders, and ask her to check up to make sure that you’re given your meds if they take you in to custody. Tell her who your doctor is. Tell her about your criminal record, even though it was a long time ago. Tell her about the circumstances of your arrest. Anything else that you think is relevant.
Finally, if you have a public defender, listen to her — PD’s are often very good lawyers and they sometimes get a bad rep that they don’t deserve.
