court help :(

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Soon I have my court date for so maybe I can get some help. I'm nervous ive never really been able to talk to ppl. Idk how to talk to the judge make him or her see my side. im really shy im afraid ill get there and they will laugh me out of court or somthing. Yes i always think the worst im scared i waited for two years anyone have any advice ? like like im afraid ill get there get scared and bolt i dont do well in nervous situations

1.Are you a plaintiff, defendant, or wittness?

2.Usually in court, the opposing attourneys are not allowed to ask leading questions.Did you ever go to examination for discovery prior to the actual trial.In an examination for discovery, all the parties ask and answer questions, and those are read out in the trial as evidence. (this is how it works in court here in Canada...btw...I know this because I am a paralegal student..i had no run ins with the law)

3. Is it civil or criminal?

4. The judge will keep the court in control and nobody will laugh at you. If they do, they can be held in contempt of court.

im going for ssi court case

Im not really sure what ssi is or how the whole appeal process for it is or what counts as being eligable or not...It's quite different most likely on how things are done in Canada...and even in Canada Im not so sure since I never have recieved social assistance before since I was either in school or working full time.

its a court case to determine if you will get goverment assistance i been having a hard tim e holding a job cause im so shy ;/

You haven't got a lawyer? It seems like that would be the most important thing, especially for somebody who has severe trouble holding a job because of shyness!

But then, public speaking is not quite like back-and-forth conversation; it's a lot more straightforward, and you can just talk without worrying about responding to somebody else. Maybe you'll find this easier. I find public speaking easier than conversations, anyhow.

A few days before your case turn up at the courthouse and speak to the people there (sorry but I'm not too familiar with your legal system). Sit in on a few court cases so that you can get the feel of the place, extra brownie points if you can watch a similar case to yours take place. The court staff know that not everyone is a legal expert and they will probably give you considerable leeway when your turn comes around.

On the day wear something reasonably smart but make sure that you feel comfortable. Leave home with all your paperwork in your pocket and try to arrive a little early at court. The same people you spoke to a few days ago will tell you which court you will be appearing in and give you directions. Above all, remember that these people are on YOUR side. Their job is to see that justice prevails and if you have done nothing wrong then you have nothing to worry about.

A post after the event to let us all know how you got on would be appreciated, good luck

I'm in court on Monday for a traffic offense and pleading not guilty. Hungarian courts when they deal with this sort of thing are more like a gentle discussion than a legal case so I think I might have it easy.

Vanilla_Slice

thanks for your responces i feel a lil bit better now i was just worried cause when you have something mental wrong you cant see it its not like going with a missing arm or leg or somthing those you can see my biggest fear is being laughed out of the court room or going and not be able to talk >.> sometimes i panic and either run or dont speak or when i do i speak wo thinking or when im frustrated i just cry lol >.> i tried to get a lawyer but they cost a rm and a leg and most want longer notice then a month for court thingys

A SSI hearing is too important to go pro se if you can't handle yourself.

Contact a lawyer/law firm that does SSI cases.

^^ Ask a friend or a relative to take you to a lawyer. This seems too important for you to let it fail.

When I did the SSI court thing in March it was not in regular civil type court was a special
social Security office court.
No public access to sit in, only person having court and other legal people allowed in.

It was a judge, a couple court assistants, and a state appointed medical representative, I was fortunate enough to find a lawyer would take my case for a percentage of my award. NAMI, national alliance on mental illness had contacts for me to check.

Judge will ask person going fo disability questions, and/or person's lawyer questions.
Judge will then ask state's medical person questuions.
Then in my case it was a couple weeks, judge will make decision and it will be mailed to you.

It will help to just be you and if you actually have the trouble you are trying to get SSI for while you are at the hearing, better for you. don't force things and don't play mind games though.
Just be the way you really are.

Special note:

When Judge asks you questions - do like Sgt. Joe Friday in Dragnet, answer with "Just the Facts".

Just very short, very factual, answers.
They don't want to know how you feel or what you think, just what is and what happens.

Don't add extra "trying to help" - my attorney said more people talk themselves out of getting SSI by adding more info to their answers thinking they're "helping".

those things would probably help your case.

I hope I'm not too late with this...anyway here's my advice....

Keep all your responses relevent...don't side track.

Be honest. As much as it seems to help in these cases to exaggerate, I notice people give me more credibility when I say things like, "Honestly, that's not a bid deal to me, but this aspect is really interfering wtih my everyday life."

But, don't volunteer information. Just answer what is asked to the best of your ability.

Make sure your dates match...that's important. Like onset of symptoms and things...they tend to look for that in Veteran disability cases probably more so because those are military related issues, but I assume SSI wouldn't be too different in order to test credibility. But anyway, all your evidence (including your testimony) should relatively be close when it comes to times and dates.

Be early. 15 minutes early is on time (sorry that's what they told me in the military, and I try to be that way now that I'm a civilian cause people appreciate that). You might want to be their earlier to give your body and mind time to adjust to the environment better and feel a little more at home type thing. Whatever's comfortable for you.

Be prepared. Have all your paperwork with you. If you can get medical records, that helps a lot, especially your treatment records to show how chronic your situation is. If you don't have anyone specifically advising you like an attorney, then call in advance to make sure you have everything you need (such as ID or whatever else they might require).

Dress nice. Some people will show up to these things in shorts and flip flops, and you will be taken more seriously if you look nice. It shows that you respect the people you are dealing with. I'm most comfortable in black pants and a nice shirt. Don't wear red and black because that's a power color. Navy and Brown are much better than black, but you can wear black if you downplay it with a soft color such as gray, nude, pink, etc. Boring is better too in a conservative environment like the courtroom. If you were going to an artistic function, I would tell you to wear bright cheery colors. Also, don't dress sexy or anything.

I've also heard that often the first time you apply for SSI, you are denied and to keep trying. Just what I've heard, so it's a rumor. I've also heard the same thing about someone's first parol hearing in this state, and I've known many to get parol their first time asking. But, if things don't go well, you can always apply again or appeal or something like that. Keep that in mind though because everything said and done here will probably be used in an appeal. So, don't burn any bridges and be careful what you do say because it will be documented.

I did also like the advice to be yourself.

It could help if you can inform people like the judge and your lawyer of your problem and that you have AS.

I've been to court a couple times, it's pretty easy, they pretty much guide everything. You don't have a lawyer? Are they going to appoint you one? (I don't know what all the situations are that they do that for.) If you have a lawyer, even a court-appointed one, it's really easy because you only have to talk to them, pretty much, and they'll say whatever's best for you.
Also, don't feel too bad about being nervous, because if you look really nervous or shy, that will probably help your case in this instance, heh. Might even want to play it up juuust a bit, or at least not suppress it as much as you might feel like doing.