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What’s the Difference Between A Public Defender and a Private Attorney?

by | Apr 28, 2019 | Bail Bond | 0 comments

In some ways, there is no difference between a private attorney and a public defender. Public defenders win cases at about the same rate as private attorneys. They are both experienced lawyers. Furthermore, public defenders can be trusted. They take oaths to zealously defend their clients. However, there are also some differences, which are outlined below.

Your 24-hour bail bondsman with Sanctuary Bail Bonds in Maricopa County and throughout the state of Arizona, work with both public defenders and private attorneys. If you ask either lawyer, I am sure they will tell you that pretrial release is an important component of a successful defense. Sanctuary Bail Bonds (bail bond Phoenix) and a lawyer are a powerful combination. They both will work hard to make things happen for you to get out of jail and successfully defend yourself in the court of law.

Public Defender Pros and Cons

Cost (or the lack thereof) is perhaps the greatest advantage of a public defender. Maricopa County covers the legal fee, whether your attorney works in the public defender’s office or is court-appointed.

Furthermore, all public defenders are dedicated to criminal law. Criminal defense is not a sideline to divorce, personal injury, bankruptcy, or another area of practice. These lawyers are dedicated to your defense, and more importantly, dedicated to protecting your Constitutional rights.

However, accessibility can sometimes be an obstacle. Most public defenders only represent clients in court. They do not have the luxury of extra time to meet with you outside of this setting to talk strategy or answer your questions.

Additionally, some public defenders might lack trial experience. After all, experience comes with time in a career so if their career is in the early stages or they just don’t spend in courtroom litigation, you can see where this might be the situation. Nearly all criminal cases settle out of court in the plea bargaining process. So, while public defenders are usually excellent negotiators, their courtroom acquired litigation skills may not be as polished as those who spend the majority of their time doing trial litigation.

Private Attorney Pros and Cons

Most private attorneys are very accessible. Fortunately, there are many lawyers in Phoenix and throughout the state of Arizona and you are likely to find one near your home or place of work. Furthermore, since they depend on happy clients and referrals for their livelihood, their “bedside manner” is usually quite good and they will take pride in seeing that all your pretrial questions are answered and your defense options are fully explored.

Private attorneys usually have lots of trial experience as well. For example, many of these lawyers are former county prosecutors. Most busy prosecutors try at least three or four cases a week, as opposed to just three or four cases a year.

Now for the cons. Private attorneys do cost money. Most will have a payment plan of some sort or at least some sort of installment payment option. But just to be on the safe side it is a good idea to be prepared to pay up front and in full…most take credit cards. As a side note, if the defendant is not in jail thanks to working with Sanctuary Bail Bonds (bail bond near me), in some cases the judge may require the defendant to hire a private lawyer. Furthermore, not all private lawyers are dedicated to criminal law so be sure to check if they have a specialty area of law or what areas of law they specifically represent.

The bottom line is that if you go with a public defender, you will typically get whoever the county or judge assigns to your defense. Requesting a specific attorney is usually not an option. If you have the financial opportunity to hire a private lawyer, the choice is yours of who you hire…and the bill is yours too.

If you need to get out of jail in the state of Arizona, make the right choice and call Sanctuary Bail Bonds now. Our professional and discreet bondsman works well with both private lawyers and public defenders because getting you out of jail is our priority and keeping you out of jail is their priority! For more information on the bail bond process visit our FAQ-page. Call 24/7 365 at (602) 224-5247 or (602) BAIL-247

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