Character Reference Letters for Court Appearances

One of the most important piece of evidences submitted in a court, when a criminal charge is filed against you are the character reference letters for court appearances. It helps in portraying a positive character of you, in case you have been falsely implicated. Character reference letters are not necessary to be written by an 'important person' of the society. Anyone can write a character reference letter for court appearances like your wife, friend, colleagues, neighbors, even your children, etc. The main aim of character letters for court appearances is to draw a positive picture and speak about useful information about you. It helps explain the judge the actual you, than just judging you on the basis of the offense filed against you.

If you need to write a character reference letter for someone you know, then you need to keep in mind certain important points. These points when mentioned, help build a strong character for the defendant, and make his case stronger. There is also a required format for character reference letters for court appearances, that needs to be followed.

Criteria for Character Reference Letters

When writing a character reference letters for an appearance in court, address the letter as 'To the Sentencing Magistrate', if the case is pending in the Magistrate's Court. If the defendant's case in the 'County Court', it should be addressed as "To the Sentencing Judge". When you address the court correctly, it means that you are writing a letter aiming specifically to them, and not just as any other reference letter.

The next thing you need to mention are the charges that the defendant is pleading guilty to. You can write something like, 'I know John is pleading guilty of damage to property under influence of alcohol'. The Judge gets the idea that you are aware for what the character reference is written. If this is not mentioned, the Judge will say it is worth nothing as you don't even know the charges levied against the defendant.

If the person is accused for the first time for a crime that he has committed, you may add a line that says, 'out of character'. There is no point in mentioning the same, if the defendant is in court for the same crime more than once. You should mention the period you and the defendant have known each other. It helps put some more weightage to your character reference. For example, 'I have known John for over 10 years, since high school. He has had a difficult time and I have seen him mature immensely over the years.'

When you write about the number of years you two have known each other, explain in detail about the person. For example, 'I have known John for more than 10 years and he has always been ready to helped anyone in need. He has helped his old neighbors with their daily chores and is a strong animal lover. I am very proud to say he is one of the kindest and most helpful souls I have ever met." It is always good to mention, if the person has taken part in community service, coaching a children baseball team on weekends, etc. as it shows a part of the person's life in court.

If the charges levied against him will affect his job or personal life, mention it in the letter. If the person has a driving charge against him say, 'John needs to drive a lot as a part of his job, and if he does not, he may stand a chance of losing his job in these difficult economic times'. You can mention anything that is absolutely relevant and help the defendant in a positive way. After finishing the letter, it is important to make sure it is signed and dated, so that the judge knows you were well-prepared. You can even add your phone number, if the court needs to verify what you have written.

You should hand over the character reference letters before time, as it helps the lawyers go through it. They can ask you to add or delete some points and get the relevant character letter for court appearances ready. The following character reference letter example for court will provide a guideline for you to use.

Character Letter Example For Court Sample # 1

4th November 2011 To the Sentencing Magistrate John Abraham Stonewall I have known John Abraham Stonewall for 10 years and he is my best friend. I can confirm that he is a man of great integrity, is extremely dedicated to his family and work and is entirely peace-loving. Furthermore, I have always seen him help his old neighbors with their daily chores, coaching the young baseball team of Little Angel's Orphanage on weekends and as an animal lover. For your information, I am the Non-Medical Administrator at St. Jude's Hospital, and have been associated with them for over 6 years. Yours faithfully (Signature) Alec Tom Blackwell Administrator, St. Judes Hospital.

Character Letter Example For Court Sample # 2

4th November 2011 To the Sentencing Judge, Your Honor, I have known John Stonewell for the last 10 years. John has been my next door neighbor since the past six years. He has also been my friend since High School and we share a very close friendship. During this time I have found John to be a kind and trustworthy person. I have trusted him with all my secrets and shared a great deal of my life with him. John had a troubled early family life. His father expired when he was 10 and his mother has raised him facing a lot of hardships. John has held a few petty jobs since he left school and has now settled into a good construction job over the past couple of years. John has told me he has been charged with 'damage to property under influence of alcohol'. He said this was because he threw the vase on the counter towards the wall, which accidentally hit the window. According to him he was under the influence of alcohol and got agitated as the waiter denied serving him more drinks. John has told me he is extremely embarrassed about his behavior and would not have behaved the way he did, if he had been at a sober state. He has also said he was willing to pay for the damage caused and himself repair the broken window. Yours sincerely, (Signature) Aleck Blackwell

Character Letter Example For Court Sample # 3

4th November 2011 To the Sentencing Judge, Your Honor, I am writing in reference to John Stonewell, who is appearing before your court due to a larceny charge. John had requested me to write a character reference letter in reference to this case. But the truth is that I had already thought of doing so before he made the request. I feel strongly about John and I will try to make you feel the same for him. John is man of good moral character. It may seem hard to believe in the given circumstances, but this is a true fact, nonetheless. I have known him since the day he walked over to Holy Cross Home for the Aged about 5 years ago. In these five years we have become good friends and I have seen him go through ups and downs. This has made me believed that he is a decent man at the core. He has dedicated many hours of his weekends helping the old. He organizes activities for the aged and spends time with them. He is bound to leave you with a smile, every time you meet him. As you can see, it is totally out of his character to be charged with a crime such as larceny. He is a smart, young and dedicated volunteer at Holy Cross. John is also a student and working hard to complete his graduation with honors. The larceny charge will have a deleterious impact on his future in the academic as well as social work. I am sure there may have been some mistake as John is not the type of person to take anything that does not belong to him. I hope you will take into consideration the future of this young man, and make a fair decision. If you wish to verify any of the above statements, please do not hesitate to call me on xxx-xxxx. Thank you, Yours sincerely, (Signature) Aleck Blackwell

These were three character reference letters examples for court appearances. When writing a character reference letters for court appearances, mention only those points that are honest and true. Do not fake anything as it may cause damage to the defendant's case. When writing a character reference letter for court appearances, never suggest the penalty to the Judge. Many Judges get very annoyed when they are advised regarding the sentences they should be passing, by someone who does not understand the rules and details. Follow the legal advice for character reference letters and do exactly what the lawyers asks you to do. Remember, you are writing about a person whose reputation is at stake.