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If you’ve been charged with a crime, you need legal representation. Call the Cale Law Office at 918-771-7314 to schedule your free 60-minute initial consultation. You don’t want to handle your case alone. Take it from President Abraham Lincoln, who was a lawyer. Honest Abe said this:
“HE WHO REPRESENTS HIMSELF HAS A FOOL FOR A CLIENT.”
Anyone charged with a crime has a right under the Sixth Amendment to the United States Constitution to represent themselves. This is called pro se representation. In Brown v. State, the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals held that “Even when a defendant exhibits an unrealistic or foolish view of his case and possible defenses, he may still be granted the right to choose self-representation.” While representing yourself may be a right, it’s not a smart thing to do. Here are five reasons why you need to hire a lawyer if you’ve been charged with a crime:
1: You’ll Be At A Disadvantage If You Don’t Hire An Attorney
You won’t have the upper hand if you represent yourself. No matter how educated or skilled you are, you will be at a disadvantage if you don’t have an attorney. Attorneys have certain knowledge and skill to effectively represent their clients. Look at what the U.S. Supreme Court in Faretta v. California had to say about self-representation: “A waiver of the right to counsel is voluntary, knowing and intelligent when a defendant is informed of the dangers, disadvantages, and pitfalls of self-representation.” Even the highest Court in the land recognizes that representing yourself is not a good idea.
2: If You Bonded Out of Jail, You Won’t Get Court-Appointed Counsel
Court-appointed attorneys are for defendants who are indigent, meaning poor. Being indigent does not mean living pay check to pay check, however. It’s more than that. At any rate, a court typically will presume that if you have the funds to bond out of jail, then you have the ability to hire an attorney. This presumption applies even if somebody else paid for the bail bond. While people have the right to represent themselves, that does not mean that they will remain free on bond.
3: Attorneys Have Specialized Knowledge
It takes at least three years to complete law school. Then, before becoming a lawyer, a graduated law student must take the State’s Bar exam. This is a rigorous two-day test. Also, attorneys in Oklahoma are required to have at least 12 hours of continuing legal education every year. This helps ensure that lawyers are current on the law.
Think about it like this: if you are having car problems, you want to take it to someone who has specialized knowledge about fixing cars. Unless you have that kind of know-how, you want to take your car to a mechanic and not handle the situation yourself.
4: Attorneys Have Specialized Skill
“KNOWLEGE WITHOUT APPLICATION IS MEANINGLESS.” – THOMAS EDDISON, AMERICAN INVENTOR
Attorneys apply their legal knowledge to real-world situations. The skill to navigate the legal landscape and effectively represent people is honed, refined and improved with experience. Tulsa criminal defense attorney Stephen Cale has nearly two decades of legal experience. He has handled numerous jury trials, including murder cases. Criminal defense is complex and it takes focused legal knowledge and skill to provide aggressive legal representation.
Specialized skill can be extremely helpful when negotiating a deal is necessary. The ordinary person will not know what the law is. Therefore, he or she will not have any leverage in trying to reach a good plea deal. Tulsa criminal defense attorney Stephen Cale uses his skill to negotiate a plea deal if the client decides that going to trial is not in his or her best interests. A plea deal may include a client getting probation, a reduced charge, or a less severe sentence than a defendant might ordinarily get.
Let’s use the car problem example again. You might know what’s wrong with your car. However, you may not have the skill to repair it. In fact, trying to make repairs by yourself may damage to your vehicle. So, if you want your car properly fixed, it’s best to take it to a skilled mechanic.
5: You Need Someone Who Has A Detached Perspective On Your Case
Even attorneys hire an attorney for representation when the need arises. Take, for example, an attorney who is going through a divorce or who has been in a car wreck. Perhaps the attorney could handle the case himself. But, he won’t be able to be objective about it. For instance, in a divorce, emotion can get in the way of logic and sound reason. When you hire an attorney to represent you, he will have a detached view of your case. This doesn’t mean that he doesn’t care about your case. It just means that he can objectively analyze the strategy and defense.
Let’s face it. Where human. And sometimes we carry a heavy burden and need someone to help lift the load. It’s hard to help yourself when you don’t have the right perspective on a given situation. Our “vision” can be clouded when we let our emotional perspective get in the way. When this happens, we get a distorted view of how to best resolve the problem.
So, What Should You Do Now?
If you’ve been charged with a crime, don’t hire just any lawyer. Hire an attorney who focuses on criminal defense, like Tulsa criminal defense attorney Stephen L. Cale. Attorney Cale has nearly two decades of experience in serving people with their legal needs. He has handled a wide range of cases, from misdemeanors to felonies. Some of the serious cases he has handled include murder and sex crimes.
Call the Cale Law Office at 918-771-7314 to schedule your free initial consultation. When you first meet with attorney Cale, he will develop a defense strategy plan for you. This is a free document that you can take with you. And when you hire him, he will get started on your case right away.