Camden DWI Lawyers

Gregory Singleton: Once a criminal court judge has read the criminal charges against the defendant, the judge will ask the defendant how he or she pleads to the criminal charges. The three pleas that a defendant may answer with include: 1. Guilty 2. Not guilty 3. No contest As the adversarial system presumes innocence, the most common plea entered during the arraignment phase is "not guilty." Once a defendant has entered a plea of "not guilty," the court may either refer the case to a grand jury (which will decide whether the case should proceed), or the court will set the date for a preliminary hearing. If the defendant chooses to plead "guilty," the court will either sentence the defendant or set the date for a sentencing hearing.
Sufrin, Zucker, Steinberg, Waller & Wixted: n New Jersey, the offense of DRIVING WHILE INTOXICATED (DWI) is not a criminal offense. It is a motor vehicle offense and is therefore handled in the Municipal Court of the jurisdiction in which the incident occurred. However, since it is not a criminal offense, there is no jury trial. The case is heard by the Municipal Judge. The prosecution must prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt just like in a criminal case. Similarly, the defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until the State has carried its burden.