Why You Should Hire a Private Attorney
Why You Should Hire a Private Attorney
Why You Should Hire a Private Attorney
While signing up to work with your local public defender might seem like a good idea at first, you should actually think twice before officially going this route. Steve Schanker is an experienced Kansas City criminal defense attorney, and according to him, there are plenty of good reasons to hire a private attorney instead of opting for a public defender.
If you're facing criminal charges following a road-related incident, then you're going to need to find a good lawyer to defend you in front of a judge. However, hiring a top-notch criminal defense attorney can be easier said than done. After all, a lawyer who truly excels in the criminal defense arena is not likely to be the absolute cheapest in the area, and given the costs involved in legal proceedings in general, the idea of shelling out so much money may not sit well with you or even seem feasible based on your financial circumstances. In addition, if you do have the option of having a local public defender handle your case, then it can be awfully tempting to forego that name brand attorney in favor of some free representation.
A public defender is not always available.
As a respected criminal defense attorney, I have spent my days helping clients in both Kansas and Missouri for many years. In my opinion, there are many good reasons to hire a private attorney over a public defender. First of all, one of the greatest misconceptions that people seem to have about public defenders is that they are always automatically available, and at no cost to the person charged with a crime. In fact, a public defender might not be able to represent you in every type of court hearing that your situation requires.
For example, you are in the situation where a traffic violation (such as DUI) results in a driver's license hearing as well as a criminal hearing. While you can probably get a public defender appointed to you for your criminal hearing, you can't get this type of representation for something like a driver's license hearing which is when a judge will determine whether or not your license should be revoked following the incident that got you into trouble in the first place. Since the ramifications of losing your driver's license can be almost or just as significant as the consequences involved in your criminal hearing, it's important that you have a private attorney on your side for this part of the process.
Choosing a public defender may not save you money.
Additionally, while a public defender's services may end up being free, you're still going to wind up being responsible for paying your own court fees. And in some cases, these fees can be rather significant. Therefore, if you're thinking of going with a public defender in order to save money, then you should realize that doing so might not save you all that much in the end especially if your sentence results in higher fines because you didn't have a more aggressive lawyer arguing on your behalf.
A private attorney will dedicate himself fully to your case.
Finally, I would stress that when you're facing criminal charges, it's not just your bank account that's on the line, but rather, your entire future. And although there are plenty of public defenders who can do an adequate job at defending you in court, when push comes to shove, a private attorney is far more likely to give your case the attention it needs in order to bring you the best possible outcome.
In my experience, the problem with most public defenders is that they simply do not have the time to dedicate themselves fully to any one client or case. A private attorney, on the other hand, will be able to analyze the facts of your case in depth and take the time to devise a strategy that is likely to help you come away from your legal predicament as unscathed as possible. In the case of a DUI, a private attorney can examine everything from the booking tapes at the police station you visited the night of your arrest to the results of the breath test you took at the time of the incident in question.
A public defender, however, might not be able to do as much. Remember, if you're facing criminal charges, then you'll have a lot to lose in the event that things don't end up going your way. For this reason, when your future is at stake, you should hire the private attorney who's most likely to bring your criminal matter to the most favorable type of close.
This article is for informational purposes only. You should not rely on this article as a legal opinion on any specific facts or circumstances, and you should not act upon this information without seeking professional counsel. Neither publication of this articlenor your receipt of this article create an attorney-client relationship.
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