Not Guilty Chapter 4 | Those First Couple Court Appearances

ALEXIS ALMOST FORGOT about her first court date. Her bondsman called to remind her. He wasn’t friendly. She called the courthouse to tell them she didn’t have a ride, and they were not sympathetic. She desperately called a couple lawyers she found listed online, and discovered that lawyers were expensive! Terrified, she went to court alone, in her pajamas. Her bondsman, the one whose name was etched into the wall at the jail, was sitting in the back of the courtroom, and looked like everyone else in the room: Poorly shaven, in wrinkled, mis-matched clothes. She waited well over an hour. She watched inmates paraded in and out of the room. She watched other inmates appear over the television screen. She was so thankful that was not her. She watched the bailiff pull out the handcuffs and take someone away. She was terrified. She listened to other people’s excuses while standing in front of the judge. They called her name, and the whole world stopped. She couldn’t think. She was shaking as she approached the front of the room. The Judge seemed unimpressed with her appearance, or anything else, and asked how much time she needed to hire a lawyer. She awkwardly explained, in front of a room full of people, that she really couldn’t afford any of those lawyers she had called, so she supposed she would just go ahead without one. The Judge informed her there were rights and risks in representing herself, and that she would be much better off if she had a lawyer. He asked if she knew what she was charged with, and then instructed her to fill out a Public Defender application. She was given another court date for “arraignment” and told to come back. She fled the courthouse.

*Disclaimer: This book is intended as an informational resource regarding the criminal court process in the State of Missouri, not to advise you legally concerning your specific legal situation. This book is not intended to take the place of a skilled and competent attorney. If you or a loved one are facing charges in the criminal courts, you have potential rights at risk, and you need to get an attorney. The choice of an attorney is an important decision, not based on advertising alone. You are not represented by the writers of this book, and the writers of this book are not liable for any reliance on the information in this book. You need to get your own attorney to advise and assist you concerning the specific facts of your situation. This book was written in 2024 concerning Missouri law and does not apply to the laws of other States. Sometimes laws change. Different locations have different practices and local rules. This book is not intended to be exhaustive. If you are in need of an attorney, do not rely on this book, GET A LAWYER!