When charged with a crime, many people struggle do not know whether to hire an attorney, the public defender, or just represent themselves. It is difficult to make informed, rational decisions when you have little to no knowledge of the justice system. Sometimes, people may think they can handle their legal issues themselves – but it is undeniably in your best interest to retain a qualified defense attorney to represent you.
Self-Representation
Every citizen is entitled to self-representation if they choose, but it is at this point that you must ask yourself these important questions:
- What is the extent of my knowledge of criminal procedure?
- What is the extent of my knowledge of the underlying issue in my case?
You may be familiar with the procedural side of the law but not necessarily the law itself. If you don’t have a legal education or a criminal justice degree you need to assess your personal legal understanding of any paperwork or documents regarding your case, and recognize that this is a competence which may only come with extensive knowledge of criminal law.
Public Defender
What most people do not realize is that you must be eligible to qualify for a Public Defender, and these eligibilities are only getting more strict with state budget cuts. There are thousands of Minnesotans in the grey area between showing extreme financial hardship and earning enough money to theoretically hire a private defense attorney. On average, public defenders handle ten times the normal case load of a private attorney, and although qualified, are handling dozens of cases and cannot devote much time to your individual needs.
Criminal Defense Attorney
There are definite benefits in hiring a criminal defense attorney. Lawyers are trained to represent defendants. When representing yourself, your arguments will always come off as subjective. A judge may take your argument as self-serving, when the same argument, made by an attorney, will be interpreted in a completely different way.
With your future on the line, you should only consider the best. If you are unsure as to how to proceed with your case, speak with a criminal defense lawyer to discuss your options.
