Defend a friend or family member's moral character in court. Use our Character Reference Letter for Court template to easily write your document."Learn how to craft an effective character reference letter for court proceedings with our comprehensive guide. Introduce yourself in the opening paragraph. A character letter is designed to show support for a defendant in a criminal case. These letters have the potential to influence the court. A character letter plays a dual role. Learn how character letters can help you get charges dismissed or reduced, get a more lenient sentence, or get treatment instead of jail. A character letter to a judge should establish your credibility, paint a full picture of the defendant and be respectful, among other things. If you've been asked to write to the judge, use our sample character reference letter and fill-in-the-blank template.