A character letter to a judge should establish your credibility, paint a full picture of the defendant and be respectful, among other things. What parents and witnesses need to know about character reference letters to the court for child custody.Includes a downloadable sample and template. The character reference letter for court serves the purpose of offering the Judge insights into the Defendant's moral or mental attributes. As for the expungement reference letters, the judge usually allows 3-5 people to testify for the defendant's said character. Defend a friend or family member's moral character in court. Use our Character Reference Letter for Court template to easily write your document. The first paragraph should tell the judge who you are writing to him about and how you know the defendant. To start a case, you will need to file a petition, complaint, statement of claim, or similar document. In most cases, you will only be asked to write a reference for former employees, however at times a current employee may ask for one too.