Q: Do i still go in for booking from cite and release if theres no case or citation number entered by my court date?
I got a cite and release back in june for petty theft. it is now September and i have a court date a week from now. The box “booking is required” is checked on my citation ticket. Searching on the court website, my citation nor case number have been found. I was told that my county system is bagged up of about 7 months so that it might be awhile from now. Though it says booking required, do i still go in to get booked? Or do i wait till theres an actual case? I was told legally only a judge by the court can issue you to booking and that if theres no case , to not get booked yet. Also do i need a lawyer or should i wait until an actual case has been entered.
A:
You should show up on the date you were given.
When you appear before a judge, you will be given an opportunity to ask for a public defender to be assigned to you. Or, you can retain the services of your own attorney to appear on your behalf. Make sure you take a note pad with you, and be sure to make notes of all the instructions you are given by the court. If you are assigned a public defender to represent you, be sure to ask the assigned attorney all the questions you may have. It would be a good idea to prepare all your questions for either the court or your assigned lawyer before you get to court, and take your list of questions with you so you don't forget to ask all your questions when you get there. The Boy Scout's motto applies very well: be prepared.
A: Hiring a lawyer prior to arraignment can prove helpful for several reasons. For one thing, you'd have someone to ask this and other questions of. [I litigate cases. Anything posted here must not be construed as legal advice, nor as grounds for forming an attorney-client relationship. You should seek an attorney for formal legal advice and representation.]
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