Going to court can be scary. You probably have questions about where to go and what will happen while you are at court. Unfortunately, if this is your first time in court, you might not have the answers to these questions. Worrying about these factors can add stress to your court date and make it difficult for you to feel confident about your case. The good news is that you can get the information that you need before you step foot in the courthouse. If you face a domestic violence charge and you have to appear at the Manchester Courthouse in Connecticut, the information here can answer a lot of your questions. Read on for more information.

The Manchester Courthouse

If your domestic violence case is in the Manchester Geographical Area Courthouse, your case will be heard in one of the two courtrooms on the first floor of the courthouse. There is a printed docket sheet listing all of the cases for that day posted on bulletin boards in between the two courtrooms. The docket sheets will tell you which courtroom is hearing your case. On your first court date, you will need to report to the Family Relations Counselor for your intake interview. Their office is in an anteroom outside the courtroom on the left side. After your interview, you will go into the courtroom for your arraignment.

After your arraignment, you will probably report back to the Family Relations Counselor. Here you can get information about your pre-trial release conditions. On each of your court dates, the Family Relations Counselor will update the judge on your compliance with your release conditions.

After a sufficient period of pre-trial release, you have a chance to resolve your case. If you enter into a plea agreement, and depending on your sentence, you may need to continue to report in to either Family Relations or Adult Probation for administrative monitoring. If you reject the prosecutor’s plea offer, your case will be placed on the court’s jury trial docket. Depending on the number of cases waiting for jury trials, it may take several months before your trial takes place. Your trial will be held in Hartford, as Manchester court does not hold jury trials.

Getting Help for Manchester DV Cases

Hopefully, this information has answered some of your basic questions regarding domestic violence cases at the Manchester Courthouse. But of course, we can’t answer all of the questions specific to your case without speaking to you about your case. If you have additional questions, feel free to contact our office for answers. You might also consider retaining our services for additional help in court. For more information, give us a call.