Those charged with crimes are almost always better served by obtaining a lawyer. Most defendants are represented by a lawyer, especially when a prison or a prison sentence is a possible result. It is a challenge for someone to manage their criminal case competently. Although there are no precise statistics on the number of people who choose to represent themselves in criminal cases, estimates vary far below 2%.

It’s not all in the book.

Self-representation is hampered in part by the typical gap between role and practice in criminal cases. You can find books that define crimes, set penalties for your violation, and require courtroom procedures. They manage some time and read these books, and the accused could think and understand the system. Unfortunately, the practice of criminal law cannot be understood by reading only books, even this one. Criminal lawyer closely resembles a biologist under a microscope: a world full of life forms and molecules that interact unpredictably with experienced defence lawyers.

Power of attorney

For example, procedural discretion – the power of prosecutors to decide whether to lay criminal charges and charges to lay – determines much of what happens in criminal courts. The chief prosecutor has the significant power to make the decisions, and when those decisions are made, it can significantly affect the outcome of a case. An act that appears to constitute a specific crime on paper can be reformulated like other crimes, some more and some less serious. What is a law book that appears to be a fixed sentence for a particular crime that can be negotiated differently?

To face the community.

No one should underestimate the pressures, values, and policies of the community in many criminal cases. Judges must run for re-election, prosecutors want to succeed, and police hope crime reports to the prosecutor will lead to charges. The public can be excited about specific crimes and expect the system to “harden” those arrested. The system would be immune to such pressures, but that is not what is happening. Only someone familiar with the local scene can know how these pressures can affect your case and work within it.

The criminal law world is hidden, vast, and changing, and the accused enter alone at their own risk.

What can a criminal lawyer do for me?

It never matters how smart or educated you are, and the criminal justice system makes it nearly impossible to do competent work representing you. Each criminal case is unique. Only a specialist experienced in assessing the details of a case and handling the many variables that arise in each case can provide the type of representation that each accused must receive in order for justice to be served. Criminal lawyers spend time on a case that the defendant cannot afford to spend. Defendants who can afford to hire a lawyer are usually employed. Due to it, they may lack energy and time to devote themselves to time-consuming activities, such as collecting and examining documents, conducting criminal investigations, and speaking with witnesses.