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When an individual is dealing with criminal charges, they are forced to make lots of vital decisions. They must think about whether to plead guilty or not guilty. They should determine whether to take a punishment suggested by a prosecutor. Potentially the most vital decision is who she or he needs to use as a lawyer.

A criminal defendant generally has two primary choices: a public defender or a private lawyer. Both choices have their own advantages and disadvantages. S/he has to very carefully evaluate the pros and cons before making a final decision.

Public Defender

A public defender is appointed to the case by the court and to offenders who could not afford hiring a private lawyer. As a result, the defendant does not need to pay for his or her lawyer, which can otherwise be very pricey.

Public defenders have dealt with a variety of criminal situations and normally have experience working with criminal cases. They interact with prosecutors on a regular basis and also may have a far better connection with them that can assist obtain plea agreements through.

Why Public Defender Is Not The Best Choice

First of all, keep in mind that public defenders are governmental workers. Therefore, they normally make a lot less compared to private lawyers. Given that a lot of people are not able to pay for to work with a lawyer for their criminal protection, they frequently have huge caseloads. It is common for public protectors to be overworked and underpaid. These factors could result in blunders or lack of time to meet with clients and prepare for the case.

It often happens that the public defender hasn’t spent even an hour before the person enters a plea because of managing hundreds of cases in parallel. Such a large caseload consumes time, energy and focus needed to develop a legal protection that can have prevented or minimized the impact of a conviction.

Another negative aspect of having a public defender is that the client does not have many options. It’s the court who appoints the lawyer. If the general public defender is not satisfying the client, it may be quite problematic to work together and get a new public defender.

Why Hire A Private Lawyer

First and foremost, a private lawyer is selected personally by an interested party – the defendant or his or her family. For many individuals, the only negative aspect of working with a private lawyer is having to pay for his/her services. But the price cannot be compared with the value of your freedom and future.

Private legal representatives normally do not have nearly as many cases as public defenders. This allows them to have more face to face time with clients. This time can be used to get better accustomed with the defendant and also to find details that can help the defense. This enables a private lawyer to discover weaknesses in the prosecution’s case that could aid the lawyer get the situation dismissed or have the costs reduced.

Because the defendant is paying for legal services and relevant lawful expenses, there may be a lot more sources that can help with the defense. For instance, it becomes possible to hire expert witnesses to explain a key aspect of the case. Evidences that will be used against the defendant can be tested in private laboratories if there are any doubts in verity of the results. Another option is to hire private investigators to discover important evidence that will certainly assist the defense. In general, private lawyers always have additional staff, associates and paralegals that can help on the case.

At McKoon, Williams, Atchley & Stanley, PLLC our Chattanooga criminal defense attorneys can protect the rights of the accused in the state and federal courts of Tennessee. On the contrary to public defenders who may be very difficult to get a hold of, we are always available for the call or personal meeting. Our main aim is to protect your rights and interests. We have the resources and experience to handle a wide range of criminal charges, we are ready to step in and protect your rights as soon as possible. If you are facing criminal charge, any minute is precious – contact us for a professional legal defense you can rely on.