If you are facing criminal charges, you are aware that you have the right
to an attorney and that, if you cannot afford one, one will be appointed
to represent you. It is part of the Miranda warning that was read to you
upon your arrest and it is based on the constitutional right to counsel,
which is established in the Sixth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
Free legal representation sounds great, right? Unfortunately, relying
on a public defender lessens your chances of obtaining a favorable result
and is often incredibly risky.
This does not mean public defenders do not care about your interests or
will not try their best to protect your rights. However, the fact is that
it is possible that you might not even qualify for one and, even if you
do, they might not be able to adequately protect you for a number of reasons.
Below is a list of some of the biggest reasons why you should never rely
on a public defender for your defense:
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Your public defender might not have much time to devote to your defense: Public defenders across the country are generally overwhelmed with cases
and too many defendants are often reliant on too few public defenders
since additional funds cannot be spared to hire additional attorneys.
This means that each public defender could potentially have hundreds of
cases to defend at any given time and not enough hours or days to give
each defendant the proper amount of attention that is necessary to craft
an effective defense strategy. Many public defenders are incredibly knowledgeable
and skilled, but with only a few minutes to dedicate to your defense,
it is near impossible to stand a chance.
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Your public defender might lack the right amount of resources to defend you: More than you think goes into putting together a solid defense to defeat
the criminal charges a defendant might be facing. Witnesses need to be
interviewed, investigators need to be hired, evidence must be gathered
and analyzed, and experts need to be retained to testify to critical issues.
This is not only time intensive, but expensive as well. A public defender
often lacks the money and resources to invest in a proper defense, which
puts their defendants at a great risk of being convicted.
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Your public defender might push you to enter a guilty plea: Public defenders are under a lot of pressure to get matters resolved as
quickly as possible and, for criminal cases, the fastest way to reach
a resolution is to enter a guilty plea. There are always going to be special
circumstances in which entering into a plea agreement is the wisest strategic
decision, but this should be a choice that is made based on the specific
merits of a case and not because a public defender needs to move on and
start on the next case.
A criminal conviction could lead to numerous outcomes, depending on the
crime. It could mean years behind bars, steep fines, or a criminal record
that could potentially impact your life for decades, affecting your life
in a variety of ways. With so much at stake, it is a far better decision
to invest in a proper criminal defense attorney who will be able to give
you your best chance of protecting your rights and, ultimately, your future.
Criminal Defense Attorney in Murrieta
If you are facing criminal charges, you should not hesitate to retain skilled
legal counsel to ensure you are able to have a fighting chance of securing
the most favorable outcome for your circumstances. At Hanson, Gorian,
Bradford & Hanich, our team of Murrieta criminal defense attorneys
have the experience, skill, and knowledge to effectively represent you
and handle whatever criminal accusations you might be facing.
Get started on protecting your freedom today and
contact our law firm at (951) 506-6654 to request your free initial case evaluation
with one of our
criminal defense attorneys.