Why would i need a lawyer for a misdeamor domestic assault charge?
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Why would i need a lawyer for a misdeamor domestic assault charge?
Asked on May 26, 2016 under Criminal Law, Oklahoma
Answers:
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 8 years ago | Contributor
A lawyer has three advantages over you, in terms of representing you at court:
1) He or she knows the law, including the rules of evidence, which means he/she is more likely to know if there is some problem with the evidence or case that would let you have the case thrown out or which would otherwise let you hamstring the prosecution's case.
2) A local attorney will know the players: e.g. the prosecutor and judge. He or she will be better positioned to negotiate with them than you are, to either get the charge dismissed or the punishment reduced.
3) He or she has no emotional investment in the case, unlike you, and will not take things personally and perhaps blurt out the wrong thing.
So do you *need* an attorney? No--you can represent yourself. But a lawyer will increase the odds of getting a better result. It's up to you if improving the chance of getting the case dismissed, or the charges or punishment reduced, is worth the cost of a lawyer.
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