Public Defenders

Can I Represent Myself in a Los Angeles Criminal Case?

August 9, 2018 | Ronald N. Hoffman

You can always choose to represent yourself in a Los Angeles Criminal Case. The court will inform you of your right to counsel, they will also inform you that if you cannot hire an attorney, one will be provided to you at low cost or not cost. This is because the criminal justice system is complicated, with a plethora of laws, rules, and procedures. If you choose to represent yourself, you are expected to know all of these laws, just as an attorney would. This is why the Court specifically informs each and every person of their rights to counsel.

Representing yourself in a criminal case is rarely a good idea. Our firm has first hand experiences of clients who have opted to begin their case by representing themselves, but then coming to us to “fix” what has happened.

A criminal case can be a very serious situation, in which it can impact your future livelihood, education and even your reputation in your community. That is why we provide excellent representation to minimize the effects of your case on your life.

Can I Hire a Los Angeles Criminal Defense Attorney if I have a Public Defender?

July 3, 2014 | Ronald N. Hoffman

One of the most important rights you are granted by the United States Constitution is your right to counsel. Unlike other areas of law, criminal law will provide an attorney for you if you are unable to hire one on your own. This is because your rights in a criminal case are extremely important, and the consequences of your case can affect your life, your livelihood, and many other aspects of your life. This is why it is important to be fully aware of your rights, and the consequences of your pleas in a criminal court.

At the very first hearing you will attend after being charged, the arraignment, the court will read you your rights. One of these rights being your right to counsel. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided to you. This would be a public defender.

Public defenders are very experienced and competent representatives, however, they are overwhelmed with cases. At any given point they are handling a large amount of cases before the Judge on the same day as your case. This means they have minimal time to be able to spend preparing for your case and speaking to you beforehand.

What Are My Rights in a Los Angeles Misdemeanor Criminal Case? (PART 2)

October 29, 2013 | Ronald N. Hoffman

When a person has been arrested for a criminal charge, they have yet to be convicted. In order for a person to be convicted, they must be found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a criminal court. Each person facing charges is protected by the United States Constitution, and their rights will be taken very seriously by the court. One of the most important rights a person has is the Right to an Attorney.

Right to an Attorney

You have a right to the assistance of an attorney at any point in the proceedings. If you indicate to the court that you wish to hire an attorney, the court must give you a reasonable period of time to do so. Due to the nature of the proceedings, the Constitution gives each person the right to have competent, legal representation during their criminal case.

Why Should I Not Have a Public Defender Represent Me in a Los Angeles Criminal Case?

September 24, 2013 | Ronald N. Hoffman

Based on the laws of this country, you have certain rights and protections that are granted to you. The laws are set up so that it must be a significant benefit to society for those rights to be violated.

If you have been arrested on suspicion of having committed unlawful criminal conduct, the officer will list a court date on your citation. This court date is your Arraignment. At the Arraignment the Judge will inform you of all of the rights available to you, will explain the charges against you and the potential consequences, and will ask you to enter a plea of guilty, not guilty, or no contest.

One of the most important rights the Judge will state is the right to counsel. You have the right to have a legal professional represent you in Court. This right is important and granted to each and every individual in a criminal trial. It is important because when you are facing criminal charges, there are some significant and serious consequences that you may face. Some consequences may deprive a person of their right to privacy, their right to freedom, and it may even affect their immigrant status in the United States.

What are my Options if I Cannot Afford a Los Angeles Criminal Defense Attorney?

November 8, 2012 | Ronald N. Hoffman

When you have been arrested on suspicion for a criminal offense, it is in your best interest to seek the counsel of an experienced legal counsel. There are two options when it comes to retaining legal counsel; securing the help of a public defender, or hiring a private criminal defense attorney.

A public defender is a court appointed lawyer who will help defend you in your case for a cost that is reasonable in comparison to your income. Whereas a public defender is in the courtroom every day and knows the prosecutor and Judges really well, they are also incredibly swamped with a caseload.

Lets consider Peter, the public defender. He works in the Courtroom and sees about 30 to 40 clients a day. As the Prosecutor speaks to each client, Peter has about 10 minutes to speak to each person about their case. He doesn’t get the opportunity to call around to friends and family, to look into the background of your case and to discuss the details of the facts with you. All of these are extremely important to your case and to the successful outcome of your case.

Do I Need to Hire a Los Angeles Criminal Defense Attorney or can a Public Defender do the Job Just as Well?

October 13, 2010 | Ronald N. Hoffman

Public Defenders are attorneys that are provided to you by the government to assure that your rights are protected in a criminal trial when you are unable to afford an attorney to help defend you. It is your constitutional right to have legal representation so as to ensure you are given a fair trial and that you have a proper defense. It helps keeps the justice system in balance and assures that trials are no biased and defendants aren’t unfairly taken advantage of.

So then if you are given a public defender for little or no charge, then why hire a Los Angeles Criminal Defense attorney? Public Defenders are highly educated and professional attorneys who are not only knowledgeable in what they do, but are also greatly experienced with the ins and outs of the criminal court system. However, with the amount of people that cannot afford attorneys, Public Defenders are assigned hundreds, if not more, cases at a time. The time they have to dedicate to each case is vastly insignificant to the time a private criminal defense attorney can offer.

An experienced and knowledgeable criminal defense attorney will only accept cases they have time for. That way they can dedicate the time and energy it takes to prepare a powerful defense for your case so that you get the outcome you desire. With a Criminal Defense attorney you can get a free consultation and sit down with the attorney to thoroughly discuss your case so that you are properly informed of all possible defenses and options. With the busy schedule of a Public Defender, you would barely be able to have a few moments on the phone to discuss your case, or several minutes prior to entering court.