Posted on Friday, July 1st, 2022 at 2:34 pm
If you’ve been charged with a criminal offense, you need to speak with an attorney as soon as possible. You may be wondering what to do next and whether you should use a public defender. This can seem reasonable, though you should be aware that there are significant differences between public defenders and other criminal defense attorneys.
In fact, public defenders often believe that they are not on even footing with the prosecutors they face in court. This is due to a report by the New York Times from June 2022, which states that hundreds of lawyers have recently left the New York public defender offices. Before choosing to use a public defender to take on your case, you should be aware of several specific considerations.
Public Defenders Are Often Less Experienced
Many times, a public defender may be someone who recently graduated from law school. They may have little experience defending people against criminal charges. They may be unfamiliar with how litigation for certain cases works, and they may be ineffective at presenting convincing arguments to a judge or jury.
When you use a public defender, you will not be able to review their depth of experience. This is not in your best interest. You need an attorney who has successfully defended clients many times before.
Public Defenders Are Frequently Overloaded and Underpaid
Due to their high caseload, they may be spreading themselves too thin. This means that you and your case may not get the attention you deserve. Because of this, they may be more interested in getting your case closed than they are in making sure you get the best possible outcome.
You need an attorney who will do whatever is necessary to build the strongest defense possible for you. For this to occur, they need to be able to devote sufficient time and focus on your case. You also want someone who is motivated to do their best, rather than being frustrated in a position where they are not adequately paid for their skills and effort.
A Public Defender May Be Less Invested in the Results of Your Case
A private attorney knows that they must get results for their clients if they are going to build their business. Without this, their reputation will suffer, and they will probably eventually go out of business. However, a public defender does not have to contend with the same consideration.
A public defender will keep getting more clients, no matter what their track record of success is. You need someone who has a demonstrated history of getting results for their clients. You want to be able to review the first-hand testimonials of their prior clients so you can know how their experiences were.
A Public Defender Will Likely Remain Your Attorney, Regardless of How Your Case Develops
The lawyer assigned to your case is probably going to stay on your case, no matter what happens. As your case progresses, you may feel that you are not properly being represented. This will likely not get a new attorney assigned to your case. However, there are some situations in which you could get a new lawyer assigned. These may include missing deadlines, attempting to force a plea deal, ignoring evidence, and losing documents.
Public Defenders Usually Don’t Have the Same Depth of Resources as a Private Law Firm
Building the strongest possible case for you will typically require more resources than a public defender can access. They will likely have a relatively small budget that limits their options.
There will be a significant amount of evidence that needs to be collected and analyzed. Often, building a strong defense includes interviewing witnesses, hiring investigators, and consulting with experts to testify on your behalf. You need the depth of resources that an experienced and established law firm can bring to bear on your case.
Contact The Morris Firm Now
If you’ve been charged with a crime in Florida, you need to speak with an experienced criminal defense attorney as soon as possible. Your rights, your future, and your freedom are all at stake. This can be a terrifying time, but you do not have to face this alone.
Call the Pensacola criminal defense lawyers of The Morris Firm today at (850) 503-2626 to discuss your case with our legal team. You can also submit a contact form online, and we will be in touch as soon as we are able. We can help you pursue getting your charges dropped or reduced, as we have done for many prior clients who gladly share their testimonials. Call us now.
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