Character Letter for Court
Writing Guide 2024
Are you looking to write a stellar character reference letter for court? We have got your back!
Our professional content writing team has many years of experience writing powerful and convincing letters of recommendation to impress admission boards, juries, judges, and even employers. We have put together a writing guide to help your friend, relative or neighbour at a time of distress.
You can also go through the character letter of court example to get started!
What is a Character Letter for Court? Why is it important?
Character Letter for Court - Sample
Write your LOR in 6 Steps
Final Checklist
Dos and Don’ts in your Character Letter for Court
Tips for Writing
What is a Character Letter for Court? Why is it important?
A letter demonstrating the good character of a defendant is what we call a Character Letter for Court. Your attorney may approach you to produce these documents in order to validate your behaviour through a third-party perspective to the Judge and the jury members. This is usually required for drunk-driving incidents or child custody and is one the most effective tools during sentence negotiations.
Questions You Should Answer Before Writing
Before you get started, you need to go through a few pointers:
How closely associated are you with the defendant?
If the character letter for court needs to be convincing, it has to be drafted by someone who knows the defendant for a considerable amount of time. This adds the scope of impressing the judge and the jury about the defendant’s character evolution.
How familiar are you with the case?
You need to be aware of the case proceedings and highlight the gravity of the same. By adding the defendant’s emotions related to the case, you can make the letter of character be more credible. This will prove the referee’s intimacy with the defendant.
Are there any special incidents that you can highlight to back your support for the defendant?
Our team believes that stories and anecdotes leave a stronger impact than adjectives. Hence, write a story that exhibits the good character of the defendant and this deviation was quite unlike them.
What is Looked For In Character Letter for Court?
- Referee’s credentials to give a recommendation letter for the defendant
- Tone in favour of the defendant’s character
- Qualities/achievements of the defendant
- Consideration for the public policy and the criminal law
- The evidence to prove that the behaviour of the defendant was unlike him/her
Character Letter for Court - Sample
Refer the character letter for court sample below to better understand the format and the tone:
Alan Bright
ABC Street
XYZ city, CA – 12345
March 21, 2023
RE: Neil Fleming DUI Case
To the Honourable Judge Rosa Ann,
I am writing this letter to endorse the character of Neil Fleming. I am the elementary school teacher at the local school and I have been friends with Mr Fleming for over a decade. Everyone knows him as a finance expert, a loving husband and a caring father of two beautiful girls. He is an asset to the community events and we were all pretty shocked to have heard about his deviant behaviour.
Mr Fleming shared his remorse and desire to grow from his mistake. As a close friend, I am aware about the difficulties he is facing in his professional life. His younger daughter’s deteriorating health has further weakened his ability to cope. I am confident of his strong will to move forward from his mistake and he has religiously been attending AA meetings since. I have full faith in his ability to rise above adversities and develop the maturity to make better decisions in life. John has mentioned that the counselling that he is receiving has opened himself to his problems and is currently working his way to stand back up on his feet.
Over the years, I have known Mr Fleming as a perpetual learner. He is resolute in changing his ways and is putting in the effort to move past this mistake. I am hopeful that this letter on the behalf of Neil Fleming and his DUI case will act as an impetus while considering this matter.
Sincerely,
Signature
Alan Bright
123-456-7890
Download More LOR Samples PDF
Guidelines for Using Samples
- Introduce yourself and your relationship with the defendant
- Add details regarding how the defendant is making changes
- Maintain a professional tone
- Do not exceed more than 1 page
- Do not undermine the case or the law
- Give your contact information for the court verification
Write your LOR in 6 Steps
- Learn about the case in detail
- Use Honourable Judge “first and last name” or Judge “first name last name” as the salutation
- Introduction
- Body paragraphs
- Conclusion
- Signature
Who Is Eligible To Write Your Character Letter for Court?
You can choose your close friend, relative, teacher etc. who has been a part of your life for a considerable amount of time. For drunk-driving circumstances, you can ask your employer to clarify the court of your contributions in the society. In case of child custody, you can ask a close relative whoever has seen the relationship between you and your child.
Final Checklist
- Have you correctly addressed the letter?
- Have you demonstrated your relationship with the defendant?
- Have you mentioned your opinion of the defendant’s character?
- Does the letter include stories to back the character of the defendant?
- Have you provided your contact information?
- Is the letter free of grammatical and spelling errors?
Dos and Don’ts in your Character Letter for Court
Dos
- Acknowledge the charges against the defendant
- Include the opinion of the defendant’s character
- Be honest
- Use formal tone and proofread for any mistakes
Don’ts
- Undermine the law or the case
- Suggest a sentence
- Exceed the word limit
- Include information that is untrue
Tips for Writing
- Before you submit the letter, consult with the attorney
- Plan ahead and learn about the case
- The letter must include your contact information
- Mention the post-arrest behaviour of the defendant
- Be clear and specific about the details you provide to back your support
Conclusion
This is our guide to help you write the perfect character letter for court. By going through the guidelines and referring to the sample, you would have gained a fair understanding of the format. Now get planning and start structuring your reference letter.
We wish you the best!
Mr. Sugathan
Mr. Sugathan is the founder of Professional Writing Services. He is an Army veteran who served the nation for more than two decades. During his tenure, he was involved in a lot of documentation and secretarial works. He has been drafting letters and documents on a daily basis.
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