Hiring a Public Defender

Answer:

We get this question every now and then. In fact, two weeks ago, we were speaking to a client who came in and they had been arrested. They bonded out. They were assigned a public defender upon their arrest and their time in jail and they wondered why they should hire an attorney. Why should I pay extra money to defend this when I could get representation from the public defender that they assigned me in the courthouse?

Public defenders can be overworked, and they can be inexperienced. What you’re dealing with oftentimes are inexperienced attorneys and attorneys that have the lack of resources. Public defenders often manage thousands of cases at a time, so they really don’t have the time to devote to your case one on one.

If you hire an attorney, they have the experience, they have the wherewithal, and more importantly, they have the time to devote to your individual case. Though the price may seem unnecessary at the time, this is really your freedom and your rights that need to be protected. Can you go with the public defender? Should you? We wouldn’t recommend it if you have the means or the ability to hire an attorney that has the time and the dedication to advocate for your rights because at the end of the day, your freedom is at stake so we think it’s very important to hire an attorney that is outside in the community dealing with these issues on a daily basis. If you have any other questions about being arrested or charged with a crime in Orlando, please give us a call.