You were likely in a state of disbelief when the police officer read you your rights and told you that you were under arrest. Still, you’ve watched enough crime shows on television to know that you need the services of a criminal defense attorney. Here’s everything that you should consider when deciding on a public defender vs. private lawyer to keep you out of prison.
The smartest move you can make when facing criminal charges is to ask for an attorney. Now that you know that you should ask for legal counsel, let’s take a look at a public defender vs. private lawyer to see which one fits your needs.
Public Defender
A public defender is a criminal defense lawyer who works for the government. Although the public defender is a civil servant, you can trust that they work for you as their client. You will meet a public defender after your arrest if you can’t afford to pay for legal assistance.
When you receive the service of a public defender, you’re getting a highly skilled criminal defense attorney who often has extensive experience in negotiating plea bargains with the prosecutor. While most cases end up in a plea deal, your public defender is capable of representing you throughout a trial if necessary.
A downside of using a public defender is that you will have to share your attorney’s time and resources with many other defendants. Indeed, most public defenders are massively overworked, and you might find yourself competing for attention.
Private Lawyer
What happens if you have too many financial resources to qualify for representation by a public defender? The answer is that you’ll need to hire a private lawyer to handle your criminal case. Unlike with a public defender who is appointed to represent you by the court, you’ll need to choose a private lawyer and then pay for their services.
The opportunity to hire your attorney brings with it advantages and disadvantages. One of the perks, for instance, is that no private criminal defense attorney is as busy as a public defender and you’ll get a lot more hand-holding from your lawyer when you’re writing the checks.
On the other hand, you’ll need a top-notch lawyer who knows all of the ins and outs of crafting a legal defense and negotiating with prosecutors and not every private attorney is up to the job. Make sure that you hire the most qualified person for your case by focusing on the following criteria.
- Experience – choose someone who has experience handling similar cases. A lawyer who is a pro at handling misdemeanor offenses isn’t the right choice to take on a murder case, for example.
- Location – A local attorney knows what to expect from the prosecutor and can give you more informed legal advice.
Along with experience and location, consider how well you get along with a lawyer before you hire them. Your future depends on the resolution of your criminal case, and you’ll feel more relaxed throughout the legal proceedings if you have a good working relationship with your attorney.
Lastly, when you’re in the position of evaluating whether to go with a public defender vs. private lawyer to keep the prison door from slamming shut on you, it’s a relief to know that both types of criminal defense pros know how to handle your case successfully. Contact us at Gibson Bail Bonds for help in arranging your bond so that you can help work with your new lawyer on your defense.
