When you go into an arraignment, a judge is going to want to know if you had taken the time out while on release to learn and grow or if there were others issues that have occurred. When going to your first hearing, there is a valuable opportunity to show the judge that you have taken the experience seriously and by doing so, you may end up with a lesser sentence. Here are some of the ways that you can create a favorable impression with the judge.
Dress for the occasion
In terms of what to wear to a court hearing, conservative is always best. This is not the time to dress really colorfully or make a fashion statement because it could be misconstrued as you are not showing respect or taking the court’s time seriously. A good rule of thumb for what to wear is to think about what you would wear during a formal job interview. Somber colors and a clean-cut appearance tend to give off the impression that you understand the gravity of the situation and are not taking it lightly which can be beneficial in how the judge sees you.
Using the time out on bond wisely
Judges will often take into consideration what a defendant has done while out in the community during their time before an arraignment. This is why it can be imperative to either stay consistent in the employment you have or to find a new job and keep it during the time of limbo. This is because it is the easiest way to show the judge that not only are you committed to being a part of overall society in a way that contributes but also that you are responsible and not out to have any further run-ins with the law. Another thing that can be really great is volunteering and directly helping the community and those in need.
Staying respectful during the hearing
It can be completely understandable why someone may get defensive during a hearing when pressing questions are asked and it feels like judgments are being made, but one of the most detrimental things one can do to their case is to appear disrespectful or angry. This will only come off as you have not taken time to learn from the past incident and will create an opportunity for the judge to potentially go harder on the sentencing. This is not to mention that if the defensiveness gets out of hand, it could lead to further charges if the defendant starts talking back or causing a scene.
Overall, the actions recommended are pretty straightforward and perhaps more common sense than anything else, but they are truly the best ways to come off in the best light in front of a judge that just wants to see that lessons were learned and progress has been made.