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Court-Appointed Attorney vs. Private Attorney part 2

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Your lawyer is supposed to be your advocate. To advocate means to defend, support or argue for the cause of another person. Some have “heard about court-appointed lawyers” in a negative way. Others are frustrated or disappointed with a court-appointed attorney (public defender) assigned to their case and want to know how a private attorney can make a difference.

In general, our callers describe their court-appointed attorney as failing to communicate and failing to advocate.

Common Failures to Communicate

“My court-appointed lawyer…
–          is hard to reach.”
–          is not available to answer my concerns.”
–          does not return my phone calls.”
–          does not meet with me.”
–          does not tell me what is happening in court.“
–          hasn’t had a real conversation with me about my case.”

Common Failures to Advocate

“My court-appointed lawyer…
–          is not defending me against the charges. “
–          doesn’t talk to me between court appearances.”
–          doesn’t look into the facts that help my case.”
–          just wants me to plead guilty.”
–          is not very skilled in court.”

Change is possible for the defendant whose case is still pending in court. Take immediate steps to hire a proven and experienced criminal defense lawyer. Once a case has resulted in a conviction, most of the damage is usually permanent. A select few will qualify for record clearance after a waiting period of 3 years or more. Fewer will qualify to have their conviction(s) reduced to a lesser offense.

Court-Appointed Attorney vs. Private Attorney part 1

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