As a criminal defense attorney Lance Turnbow is in various courts almost every day. There are things he sees that he finds troubling and probably the most troubling is what happens to people who try to represent themselves.
Lance sees a lot of criminal defendants who try to represent themselves in court. Even misdemeanor charges can have disastrous effects on your future if they are not handled properly.
When you go to court without an attorney you sign a form waiving your right to counsel and then you speak with a prosecutor about your case.
The biggest problem with this process is the fact that a prosecutor does not have to tell you everything that will happen if you enter a plea. They do not have to tell you that your driver’s license will be suspended for any type of drug or alcohol conviction, even some class C tickets.
They do not have to tell you that in most cases you will never be eligible to expunge your arrest. Every week Lance Turnbow receives calls from people who need to get a ten or twenty-year-old misdemeanor arrest expunged but they are not eligible because they took the first offer the prosecutor gave them on their original case.
Perhaps the biggest disadvantage you face is the fact that a prosecutor knows without an attorney you are no threat to have a suppression hearing or mount an effective defense at trial. As a pro se defendant, you won’t even get to see your police report or video in most counties.
The stakes are too high, you need someone on your side that knows how to handle difficult cases. If you would like to discuss a criminal case, call Lance Turnbow Attorney-At-Law today.