When you have been arrested and accused of DUI in Virginia, you may be appointed a public defender to represent you at your court date.
In most cases, this is done when the defendant does not have the money to hire their own attorney.
You should be aware however, that there are major differences between a public defender and an experienced Virginia DUI lawyer.
What is a public defender? A public defender is a full-fledged attorney that is employed by the government to represent citizens who cannot afford their own legal council.
In times when courts are experiencing a high volume of cases, a public defender may have multiple trials going on at any given time.
This causes their resources to be spread thin and leaves them with little time to devote to each individual client.
Advantages of a Private Virginia DUI Lawyer Whenever possible you should seek legal representation from an experienced Virginia DUI Lawyer rather than a public defender.
Even though both attorneys may have gone to the same law school and graduated with the same credentials, their abilities and attitudes may differ greatly.
A private Virginia DUI lawyer takes DUI defense cases only, meaning your case is the only type of matter they are concerned with.
When a lawyer niches their practice this way, they are concentrating on only that area of law, allowing them more knowledge and experience.
While a public defender often has little say in the clients they represent, a private Virginia DUI lawyer has the right to choose their clients.
When a lawyer is confident that they can help your case, they will agree to represent you.
It's much better to have a lawyer who is eager to represent you, rather than one who is only doing so because that's their job.
Another advantage a private Virginia DUI lawyer has is that because they choose their clients, they also control their volume of cases.
Many public defenders are often overwhelmed with cases during busy times, and therefore may not be able to give your case the kind of personal attention a private Virginia DUI lawyer can offer.
Issues with Public Defenders Unfortunately, in an attempt to get through their cases quickly, many poor public defenders will immediately try to convince you to submit to a plea agreement.
Settling your case with a plea agreement is the fastest resolution, but it does not even attempt to explore your DUI defense options.
By submitting a plea agreement without a second opinion on your case, you may be harming yourself by accepting harsher charges than you should be subject to.