This is in Arizona.
A few weeks ago I was involved in an altercation with a man who yelled obscenities at me at a drive-through. I got out of my car and exchanged words with him, then returned to my car and considered the event over. However, as I was about to place my order the man spit on me. I got out of my car and walked towards his and he was wielding a large glass bottle. I punched him in the face and he spit on me again, this time in my face so I elected to punch him in the face again. He attempted to back up and when he did his mirror hit me in the arm. I was pretty riled up at the time and as soon as it hit me I reacted by striking it and knocking the mirror out of the housing. I managed to get my food but he followed me home and had called his brother to my house, presumably to jump me. My father was home at the time and so nothing became of it. Apparently the person behind us in the drive through pulled up when the man spit on me the first time, because he called police and said he simply saw me throwing punches and I believe because of this witness I was viewed as the aggressor.
Anyway, the man elected to press charges against me (I did not press charges against him for the spitting incidents because I didn't think of it til after the police left my house) and I have a court date coming up soon. I don't have a lawyer because I'm not sure why I need one. I'm 21 and have never had so much as a traffic ticket, and I see no need to plead not guilty to the charges. According to a family friend who is a police officer I'm likely to have to pay restitution for the mirror and possibly do community service or anger management.
Am I thinking about this the wrong way? Anything I should be aware of? I've never been to a courtroom before, is this going to take a long time? I'm missing work because of this.
A few weeks ago I was involved in an altercation with a man who yelled obscenities at me at a drive-through. I got out of my car and exchanged words with him, then returned to my car and considered the event over. However, as I was about to place my order the man spit on me. I got out of my car and walked towards his and he was wielding a large glass bottle. I punched him in the face and he spit on me again, this time in my face so I elected to punch him in the face again. He attempted to back up and when he did his mirror hit me in the arm. I was pretty riled up at the time and as soon as it hit me I reacted by striking it and knocking the mirror out of the housing. I managed to get my food but he followed me home and had called his brother to my house, presumably to jump me. My father was home at the time and so nothing became of it. Apparently the person behind us in the drive through pulled up when the man spit on me the first time, because he called police and said he simply saw me throwing punches and I believe because of this witness I was viewed as the aggressor.
Anyway, the man elected to press charges against me (I did not press charges against him for the spitting incidents because I didn't think of it til after the police left my house) and I have a court date coming up soon. I don't have a lawyer because I'm not sure why I need one. I'm 21 and have never had so much as a traffic ticket, and I see no need to plead not guilty to the charges. According to a family friend who is a police officer I'm likely to have to pay restitution for the mirror and possibly do community service or anger management.
Am I thinking about this the wrong way? Anything I should be aware of? I've never been to a courtroom before, is this going to take a long time? I'm missing work because of this.