Deadlines During Courthouse Closure

From an outward appearance, courts seem to have relaxed in their pretrial conditions of release, and certainly on how quickly they are requiring people to come back to court. Some people are misinterpreting this and believe that other timelines are relaxed as well. One example of this is the timeline to request a DOL hearing following your DUI arrest. In our jurisdiction, that timeline is 7 days. If you wait longer than 7 days, you forever give up your ability to challenge DOL’s suspension of your driver’s license. We know the days bleed together at this point but don’t forget this important deadline!

Another problem could arise for those of you who appeared in court (whether in person, telephonically, or via Zoom) and a condition to contact probation was required by the Court. This is a bit confusing since probation is not technically “open” but they are still working. Make sure you always comply with the Prosecutor or Judge’s order. If you have 24 hours to “make contact with probation,” make sure you email or phone probation your contact information, your case number, and anything else you have been instructed to provide. Don’t put yourself in jeopardy by treating any legal matter as though you will “get a pass” if you fail to comply. That is a recipe for a much bigger problem when the courthouse finally opens.