If you have been given a court appointed lawyer and after a while you are not satisfied and what to hire your own, is the judge allowed to deny you that right?
Get Legal Help Today
Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
If you have been given a court appointed lawyer and after a while you are not satisfied and what to hire your own, is the judge allowed to deny you that right?
Asked on October 2, 2015 under Criminal Law, Texas
Answers:
B.H.F., Member, Texas State Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 8 years ago | Contributor
You do not have a constitutional right to the "court appointed" attorney of your chosing, however, you do have the right to a "retained" attorney of your chosing. For the judge to deny you the right to have a retained attorney of your chosing is reversible error and subject to a pre-trial writ (which is basically an early appeal during the case). You cannot use the request for a different attorney, however, in order to get a continuance. If you are set for a trial, then the new attorney will have only the time currently available to prepare your defense.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Answer(s) provided above are for general information only. The attorney providing the answer was not serving as the attorney for the person submitting the question or in any attorney-client relationship with such person. Laws may vary from state to state, and sometimes change. Tiny variations in the facts, or a fact not set forth in a question, often can change a legal outcome or an attorney's conclusion. Although AttorneyPages.com has verified the attorney was admitted to practice law in at least one jurisdiction, he or she may not be authorized to practice law in the jurisdiction referred to in the question, nor is he or she necessarily experienced in the area of the law involved. Unlike the information in the Answer(s) above, upon which you should NOT rely, for personal advice you can rely upon we suggest you retain an attorney to represent you.