Virginia DUI Post Release Documents
Following a DUI arrest in Virginia, there is standard procedure, and a great deal of standard paperwork and documentation which an individual will have to work through. The assistance of a Virginia DUI lawyer can be very beneficial in dealing with this process.
DUI Documents Following Release From Jail
When released from the jail after being charged with a DUI-related offense, a person typically receives a packet in a plastic bag with the rest of the evidence that is signed into possession at the local ADC. This paperwork typically includes a variety of things, the most important of which are any paperwork related to the warrant of arrest and the paperwork related to the recognizance bond and the conditions. A person may also receive documents for the DUI offense, notably the administrative license suspension, which is a document that tells if a person’s license is suspended for seven, 60, or an indefinite number of days pursuant to a Virginia DUI charge, refusal, or subsequent offense charge.
A person may also receive a warrant of arrest; a certificate of analysis, which says what the BAC was if a person took a test at the station; and the criminal complaint, which is the officer’s shorthand version of the facts that led to the arrest. These are all very important pieces of information that a person should preserve and bring to their initial consultation with an attorney.
There is some additional paperwork in DUI cases that is less important, but a person needs to check them and make sure that they are accurate. These include a person’s property information and any information regarding payments for phone calls or other jail services.
Property information is typically a checklist of every single thing that was on someone’s person when he or she checked into the jail. Since an individual is typically relieved of all personal possessions—including jewelry, wallet, keys, certain dress, undergarments, clothes, jackets, hats, and things of that nature—a person should check to make sure that they are all adequately inventoried when the property is received back when leaving the jail.
Importance of a DUI Lawyer Immediately Following Arrest
It is important to hire a Virginia attorney as soon as possible for a variety of reasons. The most important reason is that the lawyer can get to work with a person from the very beginning of the charge to understand the nature of the charge while it is fresh in a person’s mind. The very nature of human traumatic events is that people will lose the true characteristic of what happened, including the important details over time, and that their mind retains only certain details in ways that are more favorable or sometimes less favorable over time.
To get the details of the events, it is important to include details such as persons, place, timing, what was said, and all these things. It is important to get an attorney involved as soon as possible. In addition, there may be certain types of evidence that the attorney wants to preserve, such as videos from the police, videos from the jail if available, and video from third parties such as private businesses or other entities. It is important to do a detail analysis of the case, so a person will want to involve an attorney as soon as possible. The attorney can also assist with the proper handling of all of the post-arrest and post-release paperwork.
