What NOT to do in Court
As a Criminal Defense Attorney in Houston I often get asked, “What can I do to screw myself up in court?” There are multiple things that you can do to call negative attention to yourself in court. In this blog I am going to talk about a few of the things you can do wrong. And yes, these things do happen….frequently.As a Criminal Defense Attorney in Houston I often get asked, “What can I do to screw myself up in court?” There are multiple things that you can do to call negative attention to yourself in court. In this blog I am going to talk about a few of the things you can do wrong. And yes, these things do happen….frequently.
- Not Dressing Appropriately. You would not believe how many times I have had clients show up in shorts. Shorts are not appropriate for court. Neither is wearing your pants below your butt. If you walk into any court you will usually hear a bailiff giving a speech telling someone to pick up their pants and tuck in their shirt. Its court, not the club. Dress nice or you run the risk of being singled out.
- Being Late. People are late every single day, in every single court. It’s nothing new, and the judges get sick of it. You will usually get one free pass, but the second time you run the risk of getting your bond revoked. If that happens you could possibly be taken into custody and be forced to post another bond. Your bond company will not be happy with you either. And don’t say, “I had a flat tire”, or “my car broke down”….even if it’s true, just trust me.
- Your Phone Rings, You Fall Asleep, You Talk To Much, PDA! These are pretty much self-explanatory. If your phone rings everyone stares at you. If you fall asleep the bailiff wakes you up, you get scared, and everyone laughs. If you talk, they tell you to shut up or to sit in the jury box, if you are kissing on your significant other, they will call you out and kick your “sweetie” outside. All of these things do the one thing you do not want…call attention to you. Just lay low in court and be quite. There will be plenty of time for all of that once you leave court.
- Do Drugs On Bond. This usually comes into play for the people who break the rules above. If you run into a judge in a bad mood, you run the risk of being sent for a drug test. If that drug test is positive you could wind up locked up once again. You shouldn’t be doing drugs in the first place, but you especially shouldn’t be using when there is a chance that you could be sent for a drug test by a criminal judge.
The reason I am writing this blog is because 3 of the 4 happened to me today. It’s extremely frustrating for a lawyer to have to deal with this. Instead of working on your case, your Houston Criminal Defense Attorney is going to end up begging the judge not to throw you in jail. So if you find yourself in trouble and looking for a Criminal Lawyer in Houston, just remember these rules and make life a little easier for everyone!
- Not Dressing Appropriately. You would not believe how many times I have had clients show up in shorts. Shorts are not appropriate for court. Neither is wearing your pants below your butt. If you walk into any court you will usually hear a bailiff giving a speech telling someone to pick up their pants and tuck in their shirt. Its court, not the club. Dress nice or you run the risk of being singled out.
- Being Late. People are late every single day, in every single court. It’s nothing new, and the judges get sick of it. You will usually get one free pass, but the second time you run the risk of getting your bond revoked. If that happens you could possibly be taken into custody and be forced to post another bond. Your bond company will not be happy with you either. And don’t say, “I had a flat tire”, or “my car broke down”….even if it’s true, just trust me.
- Your Phone Rings, You Fall Asleep, You Talk To Much, PDA! These are pretty much self-explanatory. If your phone rings everyone stares at you. If you fall asleep the bailiff wakes you up, you get scared, and everyone laughs. If you talk, they tell you to shut up or to sit in the jury box, if you are kissing on your significant other, they will call you out and kick your “sweetie” outside. All of these things do the one thing you do not want…call attention to you. Just lay low in court and be quite. There will be plenty of time for all of that once you leave court.
- Do Drugs On Bond. This usually comes into play for the people who break the rules above. If you run into a judge in a bad mood, you run the risk of being sent for a drug test. If that drug test is positive you could wind up locked up once again. You shouldn’t be doing drugs in the first place, but you especially shouldn’t be using when there is a chance that you could be sent for a drug test by a criminal judge.
The reason I am writing this blog is because 3 of the 4 happened to me today. It’s extremely frustrating for a lawyer to have to deal with this. Instead of working on your case, your Houston Criminal Defense Attorney is going to end up begging the judge not to throw you in jail. So if you find yourself in trouble and looking for a Criminal Lawyer in Houston, just remember these rules and make life a little easier for everyone!
Criminal Defense Attorney en Benavides & Serrano
Eric Benavides is a Houston Criminal Defense Attorny and immigration lawyer.He is one of the co-founders of Benavides and Serrano.He is a member of the Harris County Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, Houston Young Lawyers Association, and is licensed to practice law in the state by the Supreme Court of Texas and federally by the Southern District of Texas.
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