District of
Columbia Criminal Courts
The courts of Washington DC are
a separate entity completely from those of
surrounding areas. Where you will face the judge
depends on where you were arrested and which
department took you into custody. If DC Metro Police
were involved, you will be facing charges in the
District of Columbia courts.
Courts in the District of
Columbia weren’t established until 1970. Until that
time, things were handled at the federal level or in
the city’s local jurisdiction. Now, however, DC
operates the Superior Court and DC Court of Appeals,
similar to other state criminal courts in the
nation.
Knowing how the courts here
work can put your mind at ease when you are facing
charges. There are two basic routes that your
criminal case can take in the District of Columbia
courts.
- Community Courts
- Superior Court
The charge you are facing
largely determines where your case will be heard.
Community
Courts
The D.C Community Courts were
created to ease some of the stress on the larger
Superior Courts. There are two of such courthouses
in the city, the
D.C.
Misdemeanor and Traffic Community Court and the
East of the
River Community Court (ERCC). Both are located
in the Moultrie Courthouse on Indiana Avenue.
The East of the River Community
Court was created in 2002 to handle misdemeanor
cases out of Wards 7 and 8, where crime is typically
higher. If you are facing minor drug charges,
disorderly conduct, or any other misdemeanor charges
arising out of this neighborhood that don’t involve
domestic violence, your case will likely be heard
here.
The D.C. Traffic and
Misdemeanor Court was started earlier in 2002 and
handles all D.C. traffic violations and many
misdemeanors. Many of the cases here are considered
drains on the community. They are non violent crimes
that is said to have a negative impact on the people
of DC.
Both
Community Courts involve the cooperation of multiple
agencies to ensure that defendants receive a
balanced penalty.
Cases heard
in these courtrooms are often resolved using a
combination of punishment and rehabilitation. For
instance, if charged with vandalism, you may be
required to clean up graffiti as part of your
sentence.
Drug Court
One other community court is
the Drug Court, more formally known as the Superior
Court Drug Intervention Program. This court is
designed to give non violent drug offenders the
tools they need to stay out of trouble.
Organizations with access to drug treatment and
similar programs work with the court to help prevent
future contacts with law enforcement.
Superior
Criminal Court
If you are charged with a
felony, your case will likely be heard by the Superior Court of D.C.
Like other criminal courts across the nation, this
is considered a trial court, where the result is
often far more serious than fines and community
service.
Court
Proceedings
Your trial, whether at the
Community or Superior Court level will often run the
same basic route. While each case is different, the
steps go something like this:
-
Arrest
-
Arraignment/ Potential for Bail
-
Indictment/Information
-
Pretrial Proceedings
-
Trial
-
Sentencing
It is important to note that
the vast majority of criminal cases here and across
the country end in a
plea
agreement. Plea bargains can happen at any stage
of the criminal process. They are an agreement
between the two sides and may offer you a lower
charge or reduced sentence in exchange for a guilty
plea.
For more
information about the charges you face and what kind
of penalty you are up against, take a look at my
D.C. Criminal Charges and Sentencing page.
Having represented multiple
clients in the District of Columbia Community and
Superior Courts, I know how the local system works.
These are serious charges and you need an attorney
that is equally serious about getting you the
results you want.
Call Our Attorneys a Free Consultation on any
Washigton DC Criminal Offense
Call us at
(888) 452-4344
for a no obligation, criminal defense
consultation.
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