The preliminary hearing is your first court appearance. It is also the first time the attorney from the Commonwealth (an assistant district attorney), and the police officer who filed the charges will talk about your case.
For a first offense DUI you can proceed one of three ways:
Request a hearing be held. During the hearing, the officer will tell the Magistrate about his or her observations of you when you were pulled over and will tell the Court the results of the blood test. Your attorney will then have the opportunity to ask questions of the officer;
Waive your preliminary hearing (meaning you choose not to have a hearing) and apply for admission into the A.R.D. (Accelerated Rehabilitation Disposition) program; or
Enter a guilty plea to DUI, General Impairment as a first offense.
