Going to court in the time of COVID

Criminal defense lawyers deal with fear and anxiety every day.What is going to happen? Is this judge fair? Does the prosecutor hate me? But now, we get to deal with these issues plus the uncertainty of the COVID 19 calamity.The Supreme Court of Missouri, today, based on the COVID pandemic suspended most in-person proceedings in Missouri’s courthouses until May 1, 2020. There are some exceptions left up to local courts, but by and large the courts are shut down.What can we do for our clients? Should we file a speedy trial motion? File a bond reduction motion? File a motion to dismiss?Maybe, maybe not, but the big question is what does it mean to the lives of our clients who are charged with traffic or criminal offenses?It means, like most things these days, we are on hold. We are still communicating with courts and clients electronically from our home offices and trying to find the mute buttons since our bored kids are being “home schooled.” We are still doing research, reviewing the facts of cases, and working out solutions.While it’s not so funny, fear and anxiety greets us like an old friend every time we think about leaving the house these days. Fear or anxiety about getting locked up if you have a warrant, a ticket, or a criminal charge pending can make it tougher to leave the house to get the essentials – like your COVID food stash and toilet paper requirements. BUT DO NOT FEAR. That is where we come in. The professionals at the Missouri DWI & Criminal Law Center at the Benjamin Law Firm are helping clients get results NOW — we are moving cases to help clients get a resolution and move on with their lives, we are getting rid of warrants for our clients, we are talking clients through stressful situations. We remain ready to work through this holding pattern to help you hit the ground running when the world gets going again. We are ready to make sure that even though the courts are shut down, your life is not.