Meeting the criminal justice system head on is enough to make anyone freak out. The trauma of a criminal arrest, booking, jail, and arraignment stays with you for a long time. It’s easy to feel lost in the system, and agree with whatever is offered to you, if only the nightmare will stop.
That’s a bad idea.
That’s not justice, or anything that remotely resembles the spirit of the law. It’s not the fault of public defenders – the office is chronically understaffed and underfunded. This forces an assembly line of plea bargains, which often turn out to be no bargain at all. In fact, the ALCU has sued another California county for loading up its defenders to the tune of 418 cases per year.
No, no.
Not for the whole office.
For each defender.
It would be very reasonable to conclude that you can’t get a fair trial and plead out, hoping to get a light sentence. This “meet ’em and plead ’em” culture is well documented. However, you need a Los Angeles criminal attorney to get you a fair trial, and a better plea deal, diversion to rehab or treatment, or even to get your charges dropped.
Don’t Give Up On Justice!
Criminal defense attorneys have more resources than overworked and underpaid public defenders, and can take the time to know and understand the nuances of your case. Even better, they can get the facts, not just the ones presented by the police and the prosecutors, but the ones that might not otherwise see the light of day.
Can You Afford an Attorney?
The real question is, “Can you afford not to have an attorney?”
Can you afford a harsher sentence? Jail time? Probation? Not getting the help you need?
No, you can’t. Get a Los Angeles criminal defense lawyer, and get the help you need to have the future that you deserve.
