Can a family write to a judge

[Bleakhouser]

A close relative of mine is an alcoholic and has serious episodes of mental health breakdowns.

this has been ongoing for years and has recently reached (another) crisis point.

this person is in another part of the U.K. from the rest of us, and we are all low/no contact for the sake of our own mental health and well being. This person is so deeply in denial and is abusive to anyone trying to help, so after years of trying we have given up as they need serious professional help.

they have been arrested (again) for drink driving. No one was hurt thankfully and they deny it happened despite all the evidence to the contrary. Complete addict denial, we all know they are guilty.

as we are not close we don’t know the court date or the court but I think we can find out online.

are we able to write to the judge as a family, and beg that this person is ordered to go to rehab or ordered to attend hospital/inpatient mental health facility? Personally I hope they throw the book at them but prison is unlikely. We are a good family, all completely devastated by their actions and feel so helpless.

My question is…would a court take any notice of a letter from several close family members pleading them to sentence someone to get court ordered help with their issues?

No - in my view. You are not in charge of sentencing. The judge/magistrate can only consider the evidence and the sentencing options available. There is a Drink Driving Rehabilitation Course. If they get legal representation, their solicitor might talk about rehab with the judge/magistrate if relative wants to vomit to it. As far as I know, the judge/magistrate cannot do their own thing on sentencing. Your relative needs to do this for themselves.

Anyone can write to a judge. Whether the judge when sentencing will take notice of what you say is down to the judge. The judge is not obliged to do so. But you can write.

You can write. But the judge can decide whether or not to let you tell them how to do their job.

Rehab won't work unless they are ready to quit.
They need to be ready to address the reasons they drink otherwise as soon as they're back out they'll be drinking again

You are free to write. Courts will take all sorts of things into consideration but be ready to be asked to appear in person.