Should I Hire an Attorney for my Misdemeanor Charge?

Pursuant to Florida Law, a misdemeanor offense has a penalty of 364 days incarceration in the county jail While a misdemeanor criminal offense is not as serious as a felony you can be fined & incarcerated for it and this may become part of your permanent record. However, you're able to fight it using the assistance of a criminal lawyer.

If you are charged with a misdemeanor, the officer has within his discretion the option to give you a citation rather than take you into custody in almost all cases. There are two notable exceptions, a police officer does not have that discretion to issue a citation instead of making in arrest in domestic violence & also DUI cases.

Do you need to see a lawyer? The criminal procedure followed by the court is usually very intimidating. Many people do so right away so they can be guided throughout the process. If you don't hire a private lawyer the Court can appoint the public defender if you qualify. You do have the right to represent yourself in a criminal case. Should you decide to represent yourself, you will be treated the same as a lawyer. The judge and the prosecutor won't assist you through the process.

In order for you to qualify a court appointed attorney, you'll have to fill out a form. There's a $50 application fee. The use of a public defender isn't free. Additionally, you will be obligated to reimburse the state for the legal services of the public defender if you're convicted.

Many people believe that being charged with a misdemeanor isn't that serious and choose to represent themselves. If you decide to do that, be sure you are familiar with the law plus the procedures involved in your case because during trial, no one will assist you or advise you on what you should do. You will be treated like every other lawyer that attended 4 years of college, 3 years of law school and passed the bar exam. If you are not sure how the legal process goes don't trouble yourself if you can hire a criminal defense lawyer who does this for a living.

For more information regarding DUI Lawyer Fort Lauderdale FL, criminal lawyer miami or DUI Attorney please contact us at: The Law Offices of Rosenberg and Dye, 1 E Broward Blvd, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301. (954)990-0525 or The Law Offices of Rosenberg and Dye, 201 S Biscayne Blvd., Miami, FL 3313. (305)459-3286.