One of the most common questions I get from people seeking to hire an attorney is “why should I hire you and not just use the public defender?”  Well, it is a good question and is something that should be explained in detail to someone before they make their decision about legal representation.

First off, most all of the public defenders I know are good lawyers.  They are in court all day, everyday.  They are often in the same courtroom for weeks, months, even years, thus, they know the judge and the judge’s proclivities very well.  They handle lots of cases and get lots of good experience handling a variety of cases and legal issues very quickly.

That being said, public defender’s all have an extremely large caseload.  While they gain great experience handling many cases, if you are represented by a public defender, you might be one of 30 clients they have to see, talk to, and conduct a hearing for that day.  That being said, I cannot tell you the amount of times I’ve heard people call my office, who were being represented by a public defender or who had one before, tell me that they only got about 2 minutes talking time with their lawyer and then their case was called.  I’ve also heard my fair share of “there was a different public defender each time I went to court” or “they just seemed to shuffle my case down the line” or “they never went over the police report with me.”  I understand the problem of a county employee not having enough time in the day for all of their clients, but that is something you should consider before making that choice.

The service that I am able to offer involves, to be honest, quite the opposite of the public defender’s “dilemma.”  Anyone who calls my office at (323) 222-4529 gets me answering the phone.  That person also gets a free case consultation, in-person or over the phone, whichever is preferred.  That person, if they decide to hire me, gets regular updates about court proceedings, the ability to come into the office to talk about the police report word-for-word, talk about discrepancies, false facts and possible defenses.  My clients value the ability that I have to offer “creative resolutions” to their cases, which might involve rehabilitation treatment, volunteer work, mitigation packages, counseling options, etc.  My clients value having the ability to pick up their phone, dial a number, and actually get me on the phone, not a secretary who takes a message that never gets returned.

In addition, if you have other cases pending or on probation for, and those might include other courthouses, oftentimes I hear people talk about how their public defender didn’t take those other proceedings into consideration when resolving the case they are handling.  That can spell trouble for someone who might be subject to a probation violation or other consequences.

If you have any questions regarding your choice of a defense attorney, contact me at rosserlich@gmail.com, www.rosserlichlaw.com, or simply call me at (323) 222-4529.  One call can save it all!