Question: I am trying to impress the judge for my DUI court date in Forsyth County. I want the judge to know that I care and it won't happen again.
I got stopped in Cumming when I was driving home from an Atlanta Braves game. I was drinking beers in the stadium and then afterwards when we went to dinner. I also threw back a couple of shots as chasers. I know I didn't eat enough food and really I only ate nachos with cheese.
I know I should probably do community service, like you said. I just wanted to write to a Forsyth County DUI lawyer so that maybe I could get a head-start on some of that DUI stuff that the court wants me to do.
Can I do community service at Goodwill? Where should I go?
F.T. in Cumming, GA
Answer: Yes, doing community service before your court date is a good idea. Community service should be done at a legitimate charity, which is a not-for-profit.
Only community service done at a charity is acceptable to the court, which will not accept any other community service. We're glad you asked about volunteering at Goodwill. Goodwill is not accepted by the court because it is not a non-profit.
To determine if a charity is non-profit and acceptable for the court, ask if the charity is a 501(c) (3), that's the legal designation for a charitable organization. If it isn't, find another place to perform community service. This is the easiest solution.
Some jurisdictions have specific charities they will only accept. And other jurisdictions actually require community service to be done at a government organization. Ask your attorney if the jurisdiction that you got your DUI in has guidelines for what charities they accept community service from. Also, be sure to ask how many hours of community you should do to make the best impression, as this may vary from court to court or from prosecutor to prosecutor.
After volunteering for community service, make sure to have the charity administrator or your supervisor sign off on your hours. After completing all of your hours needed, be sure to have the charity prepare a verification letter for you, stating the hours of community service you have completed.
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