Written references are a valuable way of giving the judge or magistrate presiding over your case another view of your character and, hopefully, a mechanism for lessening the severity of any penalties you might be given.
About a page long, a reference should be typed or neatly written and should be addressed to ‘the presiding judge’ or ‘presiding magistrate’ in the case.
- It should be written by someone who has no criminal record themselves and who has a good reputation.
- They should sign and date it and clearly outline their profession, whether it’s simply as a family member, work colleague or member of a community organisation to which you belong.
- Your referee should include such details as how they know you, and for how long, and they should clearly explain that they know the nature of the offence for which you are appearing in court.
- They should include any criminal or driving history you have.
- They should also offer an opinion of your character and explain that they know the details of any previous offences for which you have been convicted.
- State whether the offence was out of character.
- If the referee is your employer, they should also clearly outline what the effect of losing your licence will have on your employment.
If you find yourself in a situation where you have been charged by the police for a drink driving offence, you should look to find experienced legal advice as quickly as possible.
Contact Mario Licha
Mario Licha has more than a decade’s experience handling matters for motorists charged with these and related offences. Get in touch to send him your details by clicking here or by calling: 0402 968 997.
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