Help - Advice needed for court tomorrow.....

[RavenVonChaos]

A good friend is in court tomorrow on charges of cannabis possession. Her legal aid application has not yet been approved so solicitor will not agree to act - this all happened at 5pm today. She will have to use duty solicitor in mags court.

Question: can she request an adjournment until legal aid is approved as she has not see the evidence/had time to consult with solicitor?

thanks

no idea. Is she guilty as charged?

She'll just be pleading today so will be fine with a duty sol (assume she's pleading NG?)

Thanks fingers crossed.

Up in court for possession? She must have been caught a number of times with this drug... first time offences carry warnings only.

She doesn't have any sympathy from me and i for one hope she gets Community Service or better yet a custodial sentence

Riakin

Wasn't asking for sympathy or ideas for punishment so fuck off

Well... if you hang around with pigs you are going to get dirty.

And also i suggest you take your own medicine, you don't sound much better than your friend.

Blimey Riakin, most people who post answers on this section are lawyers with a few spare minutes trying to help people for free.

What's your story?

Thanks mumblechum - a voice a reason rather than obscure farmyard references.

Riakin - didn't you understand the first time? Fuck off

Was going to say the same - will be pleading today. Although in my DS's case the magistrates dealt with it there and then as well and gave him a fine, so the duty solicitor was fine :)

Duty solicitors are independent professionals with expertise in this area. They are not the court's choice, or an inferior choice. Your friend's sol of choice is probably a duty if they are any good. Also, it is unlikely that she will get legal aid for possession of cannabis unless it is a huge amount or likely to be a complex trial. Magistrates will put the case back for legal advice from duty sol but may not adjourn, though of course she can ask.

If she wants a specific firm they may have someone at the court anyway? Did she have a solicitor at the police station?

Disclaimer- that's what would happen where I practise anyway, no idea about other areas etc...

Thanks everyone. She did use duty sol and they were fine. I am not sure of the ins and outs but it was adjourned.

Thanks for the polite words RavenVonChaos

What a pity it has been adjourned. My opinions on those caught with drugs and drug users are/would be viewed as fairly extreme on here and you've already figured what i think should happen.

People such as RavenVonChaos (who should really STFU) if you keep friends in your company who do that, they deserve it. Often it is always friends to complain first... they are breaking the law by being in possession of a banned substance... is this not breaking the law?

Yeah I reckon death row for all drug users. After all they ARE breaking the law.

Gosh Riakin I hope that holier than thou attitude works for you if you/a friend/your child ever step on the wrong side of the law. I expect you never made a mistake in your life.

And if we treated drug users as you suggest, the country would be bankrupt in a fortnight.