A lot of this is going to come down to his past record and the court he appears in. Speaking with an attorney is his best option right now. He or she can best explain what to expect. Have you browsed through the information in LawInfo's Free Legal Resource Center to learn more about the issue yet? See:
http://www.lawinfo.com/consumer.html. Search the "Free Legal Resources" tab, or browse the Consumer Resources. Good luck.