The Need for a Criminal Lawyer
Any person charged with any criminal offense has the right to be represented by a defense lawyer. But a person also has the right to decline professional help and represent himself. A quip well known to all criminal lawyers has it that "any person who represents himself has a fool for a lawyer and a fool for a client." That is not quite true. But it is worth considering.
Deciding whether you need the services of a criminal lawyer is much like deciding whether to see a doctor. Many minor injuries or illnesses can be treated quite successfully with a first-aid kit, or over-the-counter medicines, or even home remedies. Yet, even a simple cut may become infected and lead to serious complications. Anyone who lives in the same household with a physician would be likely to get some advice even about very minor medical matters. So too, however minor a criminal case may seem to be, a criminal lawyer's advice might be beneficial. A simple telephone conversation may prove worth your while.
If there is no possibility of a jail sentence, and if the maximum fine is not too great, and if other consequences pertaining to licenses, permits, or contracts are not too dire, then person of ordinary intelligence might very well represent himself competently, and might even enjoy the experience. But if there is even a remote possibility that you could be deprived of your liberty, you would be foolish not to discuss your case with a criminal lawyer.
copyright 2014
Russell J. Redgate