A DUI charge is an extremely serious offense, which is why the penalties for a DUI conviction can be so severe. You can have your driver’s license revoked, you can end up paying huge fines, and you can even get jail time. That is why you want the best possible defense when facing a DUI charge. An attorney who specializes in DUI cases is ideal, but what if, for some reason, that option is not available to you? If you cannot get an experienced DUI lawyer, then you may have to make do with a public defender instead. Can you get adept representation from a public defender? Keep reading to find out.
What is a Public Defender?
When a defendant cannot afford a lawyer, that individual is declared to be indigent and a public defender is assigned to them. The public defender’s office is a government-funded agency that provides lawyers to indigent defendants; a public defender is one of those lawyers. If a defendant is indigent, then the court appoints a public defender’s office to represent them and the office assigns a public defender to represent that individual.
There are certain assumptions and misconceptions related to public defenders, some of which have a basis in the truth. One of them is that public defenders are often underfunded, underpaid, and overworked. This can be true in many cases since public defenders often have a heavy workload. There is a recommended limit to how many cases a public defender can take, but many of them go over the limit because there are not enough public defenders to go around.
That is a result of the underpaid assumption, which is also sometimes true. The lower salary means that many lawyers do not choose to become public defenders, instead choosing to join the private sector. One misconception is that public defenders are bad lawyers but that is not usually the case. Rather, public defenders are dedicated attorneys who believe in helping people who cannot afford a private lawyer. If they underperform, then that is because they typically have a huge caseload that any talented attorney would struggle to balance.
What Are The Downsides To Using a Public Defender?
Even though public defenders are often good lawyers, they do not always have the time to become fully invested in their defendant’s DUI case. That is simply because they will likely be juggling several other cases and may not have the time to dedicate their attention to a single case. That means the defendant may not get the best representation possible.
A public defender is also unlikely to have the resources to fully engage in a DUI case. They may not be able to call expert witnesses to help explain why a breathalyzer test may be inaccurate, for example. The end result is that defendants might feel that they are not being adequately represented when they get to court. They may believe that the public defender simply wants to get through the case as quickly as possible so that they can move on to the next one.
Why An Experienced DUI Attorney Is Important
A DUI attorney specializes in those kinds of cases and also, they will have the experience needed to mount a strong defense. They will also have the time and resources to focus on a single client because they are not being pulled in several directions at once. Public defenders are often highly dedicated individuals who want the best for their clients but are not always capable of delivering their best because they are stretched too thin.
DUI attorneys are just as dedicated to their clients but can actually spend the time to carefully examine their case and construct a robust defense that will provide the best chance of avoiding serious punishment.
You Should Hire a DUI Attorney To Help You With Your Case
It is certainly possible for a public defender to successfully represent a defendant facing a DUI charge, but the odds are relatively low. That is because the public defender is unlikely to be able to give the case their complete attention no matter how talented or dedicated they may be. That is not the case with an experienced DUI attorney.
They will be able to give a case their complete attention and they will have the experience necessary to mount a strong defense. So, if you have been charged with a DUI, it is best that you put your trust in a DUI attorney rather than in a public defender.
