WHY are you writing the character reference letter?Because you know the accused well. How you came to know the accused should be clear in a character reference letter for court. You do not have to be a publicly important person. Discuss your reference with the criminal lawyer for the accused if you have any questions. Their job is to answer these sorts of questions. Show You can be:
If you are a family member, you can have a very important perspective of the person.
Say whether you will continue to provide ongoing support for the accused.
If you are an employer, your character reference is crucial. It proves to the court that the accused is employed and has ongoing work. What is the job and how long has the person been employed? Is the accused hardworking? How is the accused’s attitude towards other people at work?
State whether you can continue employing the person should the court impose a jail sentence. If relevant, state if they will lose their job because of other penalties (ex. licence suspension).
If you are a friend of the accused, you can write a character reference that shows a good familiarity with the person. How long have you known the accused? How is the person like when outside home and when interacting with people in the community? Is the person a good friend? Why?
Anyone can write a character reference letter for Court provided they explain their relationship with the accused. How are you associated and why are you writing a character reference on behalf of the accused? Your answers to these questions will determine how much weight the court will give to your character reference. Because you know that the person has positive qualities. Not everyone may be aware of someone’s good attributes – especially the Magistrate or the Judge. A character reference should convey the many positive qualities of the accused. This will complement what is said on their behalf by their Melbourne Criminal lawyer. Has the accused performed any voluntary work? Does the accused look after the sick? Or maybe the accused is a coach of a junior footy team and is much admired by all members of the team. Explain this to the Magistrate or the Judge by citing specific details that will paint a clearer picture of a person’s life. This will add to what is said on their behalf by the criminal lawyer who they have working on their behalf.
Because you know what the consequences of a criminal penalty to the person will be. How a specific sentence will affect an accused’s job, family, etc. must be clearly communicated in your character reference. Will the accused lose a promising career if a conviction is imposed? Would the accused’s family suffer if his or her licence is cancelled and the family’s only source of income is the accused’s driving job? A Judge or Magistrate may take these things into consideration when deciding the appropriate penalty to impose.
HOW else should you write a character reference for court?Be specific and include details. Instead of merely describing the accused in general terms as good, responsible, reliable, or well respected; provide examples that will show the Judge or Magistrate why the person matches these characterisations. Why do you say that the accused is reliable? Were there instances when the accused clearly demonstrated a sense of responsibility? How has the person been helpful to others?
State if the charge is a first offence. This is very important. There is no point in writing a character reference for court that refers to the offending as “out of character” if the accused has already done it before. Be very careful when discussing the facts of a case in detail and, if you do, make sure to first read the summary of facts being read to the Judge or Magistrate. If the accused has not been in trouble before, it should be highlighted in the character reference. That the accused has always led a very positive lifestyle should be clearly emphasised in writing.
Explain whether the person has shown remorse. That the accused deeply regrets the offending must be made known to the Magistrate or Judge. Has the accused shown accountability by paying for damages to the victim or asking for an apology? Express your observations that have led you to conclude that the accused is truly sorry for what he or she has committed. Did the accused talk directly to you about the charge? Have you seen signs of guilt or anxiety such as trouble sleeping?
Discuss any hardships, sacrifices, etc. that the person has had to go through due to the offending. What was the impact of the offending on the accused’s reputation in the community? Was the accused terminated from his or her employment? Was the accused disowned by family or friends? You may also discuss financial losses incurred from paying damages to the victim.
Include anything else that may be relevant. Apart from the things mentioned above, you may cite other things that may be relevant to the case. Do you know of personal circumstances that may have led the accused to commit the offence? The accused may have been in extreme need of money to pay for his only son’s hospital bills or perhaps the accused recently lost someone and was emotionally unstable at the time. However, be careful not to shift the blame to others when doing this. Have the reference signed and dated. This strengthens the fact that the character reference is up to date and was especially written for the case. It is best to also include your contact information (phone number, etc.) so that the Prosecutor, Magistrate, or Judge knows that you can easily be reached if they need to clarify anything. This also allows the Melbourne Criminal lawyer to contact you to discuss the reference. Write the character reference on official letterhead whenever possible. You should also state your position or qualifications if any. Never do any of these things: ✗ Provide false or misleading information in the character reference. WHERE do you send the character reference?Although the character reference for court is addressed to the Magistrate or Judge, it should not to be sent directly to the Melbourne court the case is being heard at. Hand it to the accused or to the criminal lawyer representing the accused. They will check whether the reference can be helpful to the case and whether it is necessary for the type of offending involved. WHEN do you send the character reference?Provide it as early as possible and well before the date of the court hearing. The criminal lawyer will first have to examine the reference and decide whether to use it. Upon checking the reference, a defence lawyer may also learn something about the accused which may turn out to be helpful in court. How do you write a reference letter for a bar?You should include specific facts that will help the bar examiners decide the applicant's general fitness to practice law. Don't focus solely on the applicant's strengths in your letter. Including some mild criticism, such as the flip side of a strength, can help give bar examiners a fuller picture of the applicant.
What is a good moral character letter?Good Moral Character Friend Immigration Reference Letter is a document that is provided to the immigration by the sender which is a friend of the applicant in order to verify his or her identity, attitude, behavior, and history.
How do I write a good moral character reference for my friend?Tips for Writing a Character Reference Letter. Know who you're writing to so you can address the letter properly.. Know why you're writing the letter so you can better customize your writing.. Keep the letter short (generally a page or less).. Use specific examples to show your friend's character.. Keep things positive.. What is an example of a character reference?Character reference for [applicant]
I have always found [applicant] to be trustworthy, hard working and intelligent. When we worked on [example], [applicant] showed good communication skills and I could rely on them to take the initiative and to stay calm under pressure.
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