On Wednesdays we meet at our office at 7:50 am first, we are located at 3188 PGA Blvd., 2nd floor, suite 2201, Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33418. (Corner of PGA Blvd., & Campus Drive)
What the job would entail is that at arraignment in courtroom# 1 we will assist the prosecutor (Pam Ford) with the filling out of whatever form is handed out to us to complete by writing down the defendant’s name, case number and date.
The following forms could be :
1) NO FILE FORM
2) PLEA SHEET
3) ENGLISH RIGHT SHEET OR SPANISH RIGHT SHEET
4) REGULAR NOLLE PROSSE FORM
5) DIVERSION CONTRACT COMPLETION/NOLLE PROSSE FORM
6) REGULAR PRE-TRIAL INTERVENTION/DIVERSION CONTRACT
7) DUI PRE-TRIAL DIVERSION CONTRACT
8) DUS PTI STIPULATION CONTRACT OR
9) DUS NOLLE PROSSE FORM
10) DUS PASS & PLEA FORM
ON THE PLEA SHEET, ON THE TOP SHEET WE WOULD ASK THE DEFENDANT HOW MUCH TIME THEY NEED TO PAY THEIR FINES (THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT OF TIME IS 6 MONTHS) AND THEN WRITE : WILL PAY TODAY OR IN 30 DAYS OR 6 MONTHS….
THE TYPICAL COURT COSTS FOR EACH MISDEAMENOR CASE OR TRAFFIC CASE IS $273.00 UNLESS IT’S A RECKLESS DRIVING CHARGE OR DUI CHARGE.
MAKE SURE THE PROSECUTOR HAS SIGNED THE PLEA OFFER FIRST. AFTER THE DEFENDANT HAS ACCEPTED AND SIGNED THE PLEA OFFER, YOU GIVE THE DEFENDANT THE YELLOW COPY OF THE PLEA OFFER AND WE KEEP THE PINK COPY FOR OUR RECORDS.
THEY ALSO GET A COPY OF THE RIGHT SHEET THEY HAVE INITIALIZED AND SIGNED FOR.
WHAT YOU EXPLAIN TO THE DEFENDANT ONCE THEY HAVE ACCEPTED AND SIGNED THE PLEA OFFER IS THAT THEY ARE WAIVING CERTAIN RIGHTS BY PLEADING GUILTY TO THEIR CHARGES IN THAT CASE ONLY AND THEY HAVE TO READ EACH PARAGRAPH OF THE RIGHT SHEET AND PUT THEIR INITIALS INSIDE THE PARENTHESIS OF EACH PARAGRAPH AND TOWARDS THE BOTTOM LEFT HAND SIDE, THERE IS A DEFENDANT’S SIGNATURE LINE WHERE THE DEFENDANT WOULD SIGN THEIR NAME.
ONCE THEY HAVE SIGNED EVERYTHING AND HAVE BEEN GIVEN COPIES OF THEIR DOCUMENTS, YOU WOULD TELL THEM TO GO INTO COURTROOM #1 (WHICH IS OUTSIDE OF THE DOOR, MAKE A RIGHT), HAVE A SEAT AND WAIT FOR THE JUDGE TO CALL THEIR NAME.
THE SPANISH DEFENDANTS WHO WANT TO PLEAD GUILTY BUT DO NOT SPEAK ENGLISH ARE TAKEN TO ANOTHER ROOM (IN A GROUP) SO THAT THEY CAN SEE A VIDEO THAT I HAVE PREPARED SO THEY WOULD KNOW EXACTLY WHAT RIGHTS THEY ARE WAIVING WORD FOR WORD AND KNOW WHAT IT IS THEY ARE SIGNING TO. WE GIVE THEM A COPY OF THE PLEA SHEET AND SPANISH RIGHT SHEET WHEN THEY ARE DONE AND HAVE THEM WAIT INSIDE THE COURTROOM # 1 UNTIL THE JUDGE CALLS THEIR NAME. THERE WILL BE A SPANISH COURTROOM INTERPRETER TO ASSIST THEM INSIDE THE COURT ROOM. LET THEM KNOW THEY MUST TURN OFF THEIR CELLULAR PHONES OR PUT THEM ON VIBRATE BEFORE THEY ENTER THE COURTROOM.
IF THE DEFENDANTS WANT TO PLEAD NOT GUILTY WE TELL THEM THEY CAN REQUEST THE SERVICES OF A PUBLIC DEFENDER OR HIRE THEIR OWN ATTORNEY. IF THEY WANT THE SERVICES OF A PUBLIC DEFENDER, THEY WOULD HAVE TO FILL OUT AN AFFIDAVIT WHICH A COURTROOM CLERK WOULD GIVE OUT TO THEM IN COURTROOM # 2. IF THEY ARE ELIGIBLE (BASED ON THEIR INCOME) THEN A PUBLIC DEFENDER WILL SPEAK TO THEM IN COURTROOM # 2. WHENEVER A DEFENDANT WANTS TO PLEAD NOT GUILTY, WE PUT A YELLOW STICKY NOTE ON TOP OF THE CLERK FILE AND HAND THE FILE OVER TO THE COURTROOM CLERK IN COURTROOM# 2 WHO HAS BEEN ASSIGNED TO ASSIST WITH THE AFFIDAVITS.
WE ALSO HAVE CASES WHERE IT’S THE DEFENDANT’S 1ST OFFENSE AND THEY MAY BE ELIGIBLE FOR A DIVERSION PROGRAM IN WHICH CASE THERE WOULD BE A STICKY NOTE ON TOP OF THE FILE WITH THE LETTER D (MEANING THEY ARE ELIGIBLE FOR A DIVERSION) AND WE WOULD GIVE THAT FILE TO THE LADY THAT’S IN CHARGE OF THE DIVERSION PROGRAM LYNN TRIMBLE AND SHE WILL EXPLAIN THE PROCESS TO THE DEFENDANT AND HAVE THEM SIGN THE DIVERSION CONTRACTS.
PRETTY MUCH THAT’S WHAT THE VOLUNTEERS AND MYSELF DO AT ARRAIGNMENT, THE REST OF THE WEEK I’M UPSTAIRS AT OUR OFFICE OPENING CASES OR CLOSING THEM, UPDATING INFO, VICTIM CONTACT, PREPARING DISCOVERIES, AMONG OTHER THINGS. I HAVE VOLUNTEERS THAT ASSIST WITH FILING THE PLEA SHEETS WE PREPARE AHEAD OF TIME, AND PREPARING FILE FOLDERS, SEPARATE THE MANY FORMS I GENERATE FOR COURT, ETC……
Damaris Torres
Legal Assistant
North Co. Office Of The State Attorney
(561) 624-6546