What advantage would I have in hiring a private practice lawyer over a public defender?
Some people are not eligible to request a public defender. Public defender services are not available to people with high incomes, or for people who have not yet been arrested, but believe they need an attorney to assist them during an investigation. The decision to hire a private lawyer or to request a public defender involves many considerations. The public defender’s mission is to provide counsel to people who cannot afford private lawyers. Many excellent and dedicated defense attorneys work for the public defender, or accept appointed cases as part of a private practice. On the other hand, many public defender offices have a very high volume of clients, and therefore have very little time to offer each individual client. When an accused person receives appointed counsel, administrative staff from the public defender’s office or the conflict defense panel determine the individual lawyer assigned to that client. You may not have the opportunity to select a different lawyer if you are
