This helps to keep the letters organized and limits the possibility of one slipping through the cracks or getting misplaced. You can then provide all the letters at one time. Your lawyer will probably want you to also hold them until you receive them all. People will forget and it may take some time before you are able to collect them. You should begin asking for letters as soon as possible. Judges and prosecutors are accustomed to receiving letters that look like job references because they know that not everybody wants to tell everyone in their lives that they are in a legal predicament. You can say that it’s for a job that you’re applying for, for school, or some other reason you would need a character witness. You don’t have to tell them the true purpose of the letter. Don’t let that feeling prevent you from asking. It’s understandable that you may not want friends or colleagues to know that you are in trouble.
Do the Writers Have to Know the Purpose of the Letters?
You want to give the judge a representative sample of who you are as a person. The judge will read these letters prior to sentencing, and you do not want to annoy the judge by overwhelming them with a pile of letters. While 10 letters is a good place to start, there is such a thing as too many. Continue to gently remind them until they get it to you. Bug them, if necessary, as your future may depend partly on their words. You may need to be persistent because people are busy and can forget to write the letter. In most situations, try to gather at least 10 different character letters. Letters from somebody with a respected reputation, especially a member of law enforcement, will get a judge’s attention but this is not crucial. If you have kids, their teachers or their friends’ parents can attest to your commitment to your children, how you are a great parent, and how much you contribute to the community. If you go to a church or temple or a mosque, any letters from any leaders in that organization would be helpful. Employers can include information about your reliability, ability to work with others, and dedication. Make sure to also ask for letters outside of your family. Family reference letters are perfectly fine. Family members are obviously going to be a little more biased, but they’re also going to be a lot more personal. You can get letters from everyone and anyone. Your lawyer can have the letter translated to submit an English version to court. Letters do not have to be written in English.
If the letter is coming from a business, it is OK if the letter is on that business’ letterhead. The letters should not include personal information like address and phone number. The letters do not have to be long or complicated but should be genuine. Depending upon the kind of case it is, you may want them to focus more on either your honesty or your reliability or your kind-heartedness. Each letter should reflect the personal voice of the person writing it.Īsk people to write you a letter that states how they know you, how long they’ve known you, and what their thoughts are about you. The judge will notice if the wording is the same or if they are all written on the same paper, letterhead, and font. You do not want your character letters to look like a form letter all written by the same person. People ask all the time, “Is there a form that I can use as a template or as something to copy to write a character letter?” The answer is no. What Does an Effective Character Letter Say? The content of the letters can affect how you are viewed and may impact your sentence. This is a tool that we can use to get the prosecutor and the judge and the probation office to really understand who you are as a person, to humanize you so you’re not just another file on their desk. Why Are Character Letters Important?Ĭharacter letters are a very important part of the process of a criminal case, especially in federal court.
Good character witness letter professional#
One of these important tools is a character letter.Īt the Law Office of Diane Bass, A Professional Law Corporation, we have extensive history defending clients in both local criminal court and federal criminal court. While some former defendants may feel powerless at this point, there are steps they can take to improve their standing before the court. After being convicted or pleading guilty to a criminal offense, the post-conviction phase begins.
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