Can I walk into court myself and take care of my DUI case? 15 Answers as of February 15, 2012

A D.U.I. by itself is fairly serious, the Failure to Appear is an additional misdemeanor charge punishable by up to six months in jail. Did you complete any of your sentence from the DUI - any of the dui alcohol education program? There are 2 ways to look at it - that you are coming forward on your own (provided you are doing that and didn't get caught when police ran your driver's license during a routine traffic stop) after 8 years shows a genuine desire to live right and address problems from your past so you can get on with your life. Some judges and some prosecutors, though, have a hard on for FTA's. They almost take it personally. Still, I think you should handle it yourself. If you want to call me for advice before you do so and during the process (IE: you go to court and get the case added on; the D.A. will mae an offer to you plead guilty and you get this sentence.

You can handle this matter on your own but it is risky. Since you have an 8 year old warrant, you are likely to be detained. Your best bet is to spend the $2,000 (approximately) and hire an attorney to handle this matter on your behalf.

The very fact that it is 8 years old suggests the need for a lawyer to help you. The older the case is, the more chance that the D.A. can't prove his case.

Yeah. But you may want to hire a lawyer to do a Serna/Doggett motion to dismiss for you.

No! You need a lawyer to protect you against unintended consequences, as well as possibly, reducing the charges to something less than a DUI.

You can't just waltz in 8 years later and think the judge won't kick your ass. If you can't afford a lawyer, get a public defender. There is probably a warrant out for you and you will probably have to surrender on it, get booked, and then get to the court.

Consult an attorney. Most attorneys will give an initial consultation for free. If you can't afford an attorney, go to your court day and ask for the public defender. Even before the court date, go to the public defender's office and ask to consult with an attorney.

You always have the option of representing yourself but it's not very wise. If you can't afford an attorney, you can apply for the Public Defender. If you make a little too much for the PD, there are generally near-indigent panels to which the court can refer you. If you retain an attorney, many excellent attorneys will take your case for $2K or less. The first thing you need to do is have any outstanding bench warrants recalled. A retained attorney can do this for you on a misdemeanor but you will need to appear personally if you are getting the PD or representing yourself. Once the warrant is recalled, the case will resume where it left off eight years ago. Remember that there is always a chance you will be remanded into custody (jail) which is another reason why having a retained attorney is an advantage (you need not appear.) Good luck.

Sure you can, but there is a big possibility that the Judge will take you right into custody. Consider hiring a DUI specialist, who can go to court without you to try and recall the warrant and address the underlying case.

That's a mouthful. I wouldn't walk into court without a lawyer if I were you. With an 8 year old case there are some motions that can be filed to try and obtain a dismissal. But there are some foundational facts that need to be determined first to see if you qualify. If you go in by yourself unaided you won't know what to do. The DA will simply try and get you to plead, or offer you a reduced charge. You'll think that is great when the truth may be that a good lawyer can get the case dismissed. So do yourself a favor and contact a good criminal defense attorney and get the answers before you just walk in to court.