What do I expect in court for the first time?

Question

I got pulled over, and issued a ticket for driving with no insurance, and he took my license as bail and said I can get it back in court once I pay the ticket.I am 17 years old and have never had a ticket before. It was a one time thing, driving my grandmas car to pick her up because my cars battery was dead, I was on her insurance 2 weeks prior to that and then she took me off because I bought my own car. What do I say to the judge? How to dress? and what to expect and ect? I live in Illinois, and have court on Friday.

Answer 1

Simple ,since it's your first tim e follow these 3 things

You say "Your Honor"?Yes ,as if you're asking him or her a question

You wear a blue shirt(button up ,a polo or dress shirt is preffered) blue is the key remember this only blue

You act civilized,be a gentleman ,yes mam no sir and when speaking to the judge ,only "yourHonor"

very important))) No worries ,just hold your head high ,shoulders back and smile .humbily

Answer 2

Oh my!   You are in a fix.  I'm sure your intentions were on the up and up however, the law unfortunately is looking very harshly at teens these days.  

What I would advise you is this.  

Dress very conservatively and pull out all the proper manners you possibly can and be as respectful to the judge as you possibly can.  Remember, it's his/her courtroom, not yours!

Always, Your Honor,  to others:  Yes/Ma'am, Sir accordingly.

Secondly, like the other answerer stated, get your ducks/paperwork/affairs in "proper order" because you won't want to leave any stone unturned.  Try to have your Grandmother go with you to corroborate your story as truth, and nothing but.  

Thirdly,  be as humble as you possibly can.  When the judge addresses you,  do not, I repeat, do NOT laugh, snicker or make any smart comment.  Very disrespectful.  

Answer the judge honestly.  DO NOT SPEAK UNTIL YOU ARE SPOKEN TO!

Do not argue or confront the Policeman if they in fact bother to show up.  Sometimes, about 40% of the time, they fail to show up for their own cases, if that happens, don't say a word, just note it in your mind.  

Talk softly to your Grandmother, and follow her lead.  I personally think the cop was a little harsh confiscating your license but you're in the Midwest, I don't know why he would have done that and simply not called your guardian, Is he on some kind of ego trip as a new cop or what?  

They do things nowadays and shouldn't have as it turns out.  I think he should have just ticketed you, warned you about calling your insurance agent asap and let it go at that!  

Seeing as how you had no priors.  Not justified what he did. Now that I think about it, was he within his rights of law enforcement to take your license as "bail" or was this simply his way of intimidating a teenager not savvy to the law?  Not cool at all in my opinion.

Anyway,  good luck,  you'll be fine.

Answer 3

First and foremost be calm. You're innocent until proven otherwise. Dress well, though for your age a good shirt, tie and slacks (with matching shoes and belt) should do (you don't have to go all out with a suit or anything unless you absolutely want to).

While I'm not a legal professional, from personal experience, I would honestly just tell the judge what you just mentioned in your post. Tell him that your battery was dead, that you needed to pick your grandmother up (if she could verify that, that would be even better) and that the insurance had just changed (you don't have to mention the two weeks part unless he/she asks, but you do have to honestly answer all questions).

My personal experience has been that most judges in these situations aren't out to get you. They remember being your age, and if you didn't cause any harm, apologized profusely, and promised it won't happen again, and you don't have a record, they'll let you off either completely, or issue you a small fine. Most likely, they'll let you off, especially if you can prove that you do have auto insurance in general (bring a copy of your policy).

Best of luck, and remember, be quiet, confident but respectful.

Answer 4

Get your affairs in order.  You will be lucky to be out of jail by Christmas.  It should not be too bad as it will probably only be county lock-up.  Take some clean under wear to court with you so at least you have a change.  They will supply you with your daily wear.

Answer 5

illinois sucks, dress normal its just municipal court. Other than that I dont know, I dont have to deal with that c**p.

Answer 6

Dress like you are going to church, relax, & be honest. The judge will notice these things.

Answer 7

First of all, call your insurance man and get proof of insurance. If you had insurance on your car, you are covered while driving grandma's car. Make sure the insurance man notorizes a letter of proof for you to bring to court with you. Call the judge "Your Honor" and call everyone else in the building Sir or Mam no matter who they are. Wear a suit jacket, tie and decent shoes (goodwill can hook you up in an emergency) Don't smoke or swear and if you are found guilty, ask the judge to approach the bench. If the judge allows it, tell him you are too young and cannot afford a ticket and say you are sorry. Tell him what your future aspirations are and beg him not to let this silly incident put a negative mark against your character.