The Miranda Rights that a law enforcement officer is required by law to read to everyone that is arrested, reads “…you have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford one, one will be appointed to you.” You might think – okay, just have the court appoint me one so I can save money. Well, that’s not necessarily how things work. There are many different kinds of attorneys, some who will probably be able to help you out more than others (essentially as with most things, you usually get what you pay for).
If you’re hiring a defense attorney, you’ll need to hire one who specializes in or has extensive experience in representing defendants charged with the same or similar crime as you. For example, if you’re arrested for theft, hiring a family attorney isn’t the wisest idea. Private attorneys will charge you a fee, but that typically means they will be more dedicated to your case.
If you cannot afford a private attorney, the court will appoint one to you. Court-appointed attorneys are also called public defenders. Public defenders are paid by the government, not the client. They are often juggling multiple cases at once so they have less time to dedicate to each case. This means that your defense may not be as strong as it would be if you had a private attorney working on your case. As with anything, the quality of customer service you receive is proportional to what you can (or cannot) afford.
If you have any other questions regarding private attorneys vs public defenders, or the bail and payment process, we here at Bulldog Bail Bonds are available 24/7 online or on the phone at 559-688-0229.