Do I need to get the Deferred Prosecution Petition into the Court beforehand?

Yes. In most cases, the Judge (and prosecutor) would like the opportunity to review a Petition for Deferred Prosecution and accompanying documents on a DUI charge before your Court appearance. Some Courts by local Court rule even mandate a specific time period. The most common is 7-14 days before the Court date. Regardless of a Court rule, it is always a good practice to do so. Otherwise, if it is a busy Court calender you will be asked to continue the hearing.