What about Court-Appointed (or “CPCS”) Lawyers?
Public defenders are the same as any other group of lawyers. Some public defenders are terrific, some are only okay. The same thing is true about private lawyers. Just because a lawyer is private does not mean you will be better represented. You must evaluate every lawyer, private or court-appointed, based on his or her own merit, not on who pays the bill.
The biggest difference between public and private lawyers is choice.
With a private lawyer, you pick who will represent you. With a court-appointed lawyer, the judge will simply appoint the “lawyer of the day” to represent you – you will have no control over who is assigned to you, and usually, you can’t change lawyers.
The freedom to choose allows you to select an attorney that is right for you. That means a lawyer with the competence and experience you need. But even more importantly, you can choose a lawyer you trust and believe in, a lawyer who you get along with.
Rest assured that most court appointed lawyers do a fine job.
But if you are not comfortable with a lawyer appointed to represent you for any reason, feel free to give us a call. We may be able to reassure you, or you may decide that you will be better served by hiring your own lawyer. Remember, an initial consultation with Attorney Gindes is always free.
