Private Attorney or Public Defender? (Explained)

The United State's Constitution asserts that we all of a right to an attorney - and if you can't afford one, a lawyer will be appoint to represent you.  Now, you may not qualify for the public defender, but if you do, you may be wondering whether you should keep your public defender or choose to hire an experience, private, Minnesota Criminal Defense Attorney.

Public defenders are attorneys paid by the state, who do not choose their clients.  Similarly, you don’t get to choose which public defender you get.  In the case of private attorneys, individuals faced with a crime have available to them a wide array of lawyers with varying skill sets and fee structures to choose from.  Believe it or not, there are good, aggressive and affordable lawyers who can and will help you with your cases. 

Public defenders may be excellent lawyers, and many of them are; in fact, many excellent private criminal lawyers were once public defenders.  However, public defenders are incredibly busy and often handle a caseload that is simply unimaginable to a private attorney.  Because a private attorney chooses what cases he or she will take on, he can control his caseload and ensure that each client receives a high level of attention to detail.  If you are looking for an attorney to be available almost instantaneously on a 24/7 basis, a public defender may not be the way to go.

That being said, not all private defense lawyers are created equal – perhaps an obvious point, but an important one nonetheless.  Use your better judgment; you can glean a lot about the way an attorney will treat you once he has your money from the initial phone consultation and the initial in-office consultation.

Give This a Try

I got my start as a prosecutor - working for the government.  During my tenure working in the DA's office, I saw waaaaaay too many individuals who were under served and overcharged by their attorneys - public and private.  I also saw that there was a need to be filled for those individuals who didn't qualify for a public defender - but needed someone to assist them.

If you or someone you love needs help with a legal issue, call me to set up a FREE consultation.  I think you'll be surprised what some one in the know can tell you about your case - and how little it will actually cost to protect your rights and your future.  Call the Rolloff Law Office, today at (612) 61234-1165