Many people wonder about whether it’s best to let a public defender represent them, or if it’s better to pay a private criminal defense lawyer. While some people have to go the public defender route because they don’t have enough financial resources to hire a lawyer of their own, there are many drawbacks to choosing this path.
But let’s back up and explain a bit of background information first:
The Constitution of the United States of America
The Sixth Amendment of the Constitution indicates that every citizen of the United State has a right to a speedy trial by an impartial jury. Everyone also has the right to counsel (representation by a lawyer) in federal cases according to this same Amendment.
Supreme Court decision
In the 1963 Supreme Court case, Gideon v. Wainwright, the right to have a lawyer was extended to every felony case as well. So in felony cases, if someone can’t afford a lawyer, the government will provide one—he or she is known as a public defender. Those who are being charged with misdemeanors also are entitled to the appointment of a public defender if they cannot afford their own attorney.
What is a public defender?
A public defender is a lawyer who has the same qualifications as a private lawyer—he or she must graduate from law school and pass the bar. He or she has been appointed to the public defender position by the government to provide representation to those defendants who cannot hire private lawyers to represent them. Public defenders are paid by the government, as are the judge, prosecutors, and court clerks.
What are the drawbacks?
There are many disadvantages to using a public defender instead of a private attorney. One is the rather obvious fact that the public defender represents many defendants throughout the court jurisdiction, and may be working on up to 100 cases or more at once. As a result, he or she will have a limited amount of time to prepare your defense and overall legal strategy. It also might be hard to track down your public defender if you have questions about the judicial process or need one-on-one time to discuss your case.
Little personalized service
Many public defender offices use what’s called horizontal representation. This means that in each step of the judicial process, you could be represented by a different public defender. For example, one public defender may be assigned to arraignments, another to pretrials, another to trials and so on. You will be assigned to these public defenders—you won’t get to choose who you feel most comfortable representing your best interests.
Additionally, sometimes public defenders working on a case won’t communicate with each other properly about how the case is progressing, and then fail to adequately represent defendants because they aren’t aware of what has occurred in previous parts of the court process.
Consider a wiser choice: Attorney Dan Chambers
Criminal defense attorney Dan Chambers is a much better choice. He will give your case the serious attention it deserves, crafting a sound defense that you can count on. When clients call or email, they receive helpful, detailed responses within 24 hours, so you can rest assured that you and your case are top priorities at the Chambers Law Firm.
Financial help is available
Don’t just go with the public defender because it’s free—his fees are reasonable, and many times can work with you on a payment plan if you need it, depending on the specifics of your case. Your freedom and reputation are at stake, so hire the best criminal defense attorney you know: Dan Chambers of the Chambers Law Firm.
Contact info
Schedule an appointment to chat with Attorney Chambers about your case by calling 714-760-4088. Your first consultation is absolutely free of charge. He’ll give you legal advice and start developing a rock-solid legal strategy right away.
