QUESTION
What can I do if I have mental illness and I am facing legal trouble?
Asked on Jan 11th, 2012 on Criminal Law - Colorado
More details to this question:
I really need help. I think I am in big trouble over a few little things. I will try and make this simple. I missed some court dates and did not have proof of community service that I did do. I can’t explain why I did these things other than I am very unwise and I am bipolar. Yes, I do nonsensical things, but the bipolarism is a huge reason why I can’t seem to pull it together. For the most part, the legal issues are just traffic violations, but now it is some much more. What can I do to help myself? I am afraid that there is a warrant out for my arrest. I am too scared to turn myself in in fear of being arrested. Someone with my mental state will not do well in that situation. I want to fix this but I do not know how. I do not have money for an attorney now, so is there a way that I can resolve this without spending too much money or going behind bars? Is there an agency or something that deals with legal issues related to mental illness? Any help will be greatly appreciated.
1 ANSWER
3 Awards
Get the proof of completion of community service, directly from the folks you did community service for. A short note on letterhead indicating the amount of time and approximately when it was completed. Make copies, send one to the court, keep one in a safe place, keep one on you if you get arrested. As for missing court, you can call the court and ask when you can come in to resolve it. Many courts have a day when they are willing to add on a case - you may want to call the prosecutor and try to work something out over the phone, but they often do not answer or call back. You can contact a bondsman to try to deal with any warrants so you do not spend much time in jail , but you may have to turn yourself in to clear up warrants and get a court date. If you had a public defender on these cases previously, you might contact that person.
Answered on Jan 25th, 2012 at 3:53 PM