Los Angeles Criminal Lawyers Blog
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.
Because the consequences of a criminal conviction can have a significant impact on your rights and liberty, you are also given the right to counsel so that you may be adequately represented in Court.
You may choose to be represented by an experienced private Los Angeles Criminal Defense attorney, a public defender, or you may choose to represent yourself. If you appear in court without an attorney and want to hire a private attorney to represent you, you just need to inform the Judge and he will continue your arraignment.
If you choose to go with a Public Defender, the cost of the attorney will be significantly less than that of private counsel. However, the time the Public Defender has to focus and dedicate to your case will also be significantly less than that of private counsel.
A public defender is also an experienced and knowledgeable lawyer. However, they have hundreds of cases to go through, and are extremely busy the morning of the hearing. They can give a few minutes to reviewing each case and talking to each person before advising them on how to proceed.
A private criminal defense attorney has the time to sit down with you and discuss your options, your strengths, your weaknesses and the defenses available to you. They will take the time to gather evidence, review discovery and prepare an argument. In many cases they will also speak to friends and family and gather letters to show to the Judge attesting to the person’s strong character.
If you are facing criminal charges, you are given the right to counsel. This is an important right and would not be given if it was not extremely necessary. Take advantage of this right and seek the help of a Los Angeles Criminal Defense specialist that can give you the time, dedication and focus your deserve.