A public defender is a defense lawyer provided to you by the court.
All DUI defendants have a right to a lawyer. This right is guaranteed to you by the US Constitution. There are two ways to get a lawyer in a DUI case:
- Hire a lawyer of your own
- Accept a free lawyer from the court, known as a public defender
However, there is a world of difference between what you get from these two options. Public defenders are good lawyers, and they want to help you, but they can’t do what a private lawyer would do. They’re hampered by low budget, long hours and a heavy case load. In most cases they simply cannot put in the time it would take to try to win your case. In fact, an average public defender is assigned a year and half worth of cases every year.
If you choose to accept a public defender, here is what you should expect:
- If you are still in jail, you will be taken to a special holding area to meet your lawyer. This first meeting will often be 1 hour or less before your court hearing.
- Your public defender may not have looked at your case at all before meeting you. They may review your documents for the first time ever right in front of you.
- The meeting will be short and often rushed.
- The public defender will most likely recommend you plead guilty.
Have you been charged with DUI? We can connect you with an experienced Los Angeles DUI lawyer and get you a FREE consultation. Fill out the form to the right or call (310) 896-2724 and get your free consultation today.
