Criminal Law Legal Guide

Court Appointed Lawyers vs. Private Attorneys

If you are charged with a crime, you will be offered the services of one of the many court appointed lawyers this country hires. However, you should know upfront that court appointed lawyers simply are not as good as private attorneys for a variety of reasons, including those outlined below:

Expertise
Most court appointed lawyers are much more inexperienced compared to their law firm counterparts. Thus, your public defender will not have the expertise that a private attorney does. Never forget that years of experience can change verdicts, even if the court appointed lawyers suggest otherwise.

Freedom of Choice
If you choose to go with court appointed lawyers instead of hiring your own, you'll be at the mercy of the courts. This means that if you don't get along with your public defender, it might be difficult to switch to one of the other court appointed lawyers (if one is even available.)

Reputation
Many court appointed lawyers simply do not have the reputation in the courtroom that you'll need to win your case or have a favorable settlement. In fact, if they are very new, they might fall for some of the "tricks" that a seasoned attorney would never succumb to.

Settlement Options
Sometimes, court appointed lawyers want to get your case off their desks. Thus, they will push you to settle or plead in a way that a privately hired attorney would never do. You've probably heard the phrase repeated many times, "I only pled guilty because that's what my public defender said to do!" Don't make that mistake.

Time Constraints
Court appointed lawyers may be pushed by their bosses to make their cases go away - fast. Thus, you will not get the same level of courteous representation as you will from aggressive attorneys who delve into your case and want to help you win a favorable verdict.

Remember that although court appointed lawyers are "free", their lack of knowledge and strength in the courtroom may actually "cost" you much more than you thought. You could lose your freedom if you're sent to prison or suffer the social stigma of having a criminal record in your background.

Therefore, if you've been offered the services of one of the many court appointed lawyers out there, we urge you to contact our offices first. After all, knowledge is power, and you want the most educated, savvy legal representation you can obtain. Call us today.