I often get asked, "what will happen on our first court setting / appearance" on a Collin County DWI?
The answer is, "not much." The first court appearance is part of what we term the information processing period. It is simply a first chance for us to begin gathering the discovery in your case. Start getting the police reports, videos, any pictures the State may have. It is also our first opportunity to talk to the prosecutors about the case, and get a feel from them of how hard they are pushing on the case. We also (assuming we have not yet), enter our name as attorney of record. This informs the court and the State that they may not talk to you without us being present.
In most cases, you will simply check in with the bailiff proving you haven’t fled the country, and are taking care of your case. We have most of our clients in and out within an hour. Your case will then be reset for about a month.
That’s it! You are not pleading guilty or not guilty. There is no trial on the first court appearance. Nothing to dread, nothing to fear.