Is the Lawyer that appointed by the court reliable and how much I would have to pay? -

A girl falsely accused me of quot;sexually assultingquot; her without any evidence, I am a poor student. Is the Lawyer that appointed by the court reliable and how much I would have to pay?

Yes, you are guaranteed to an attorney free of charge by the US Constitution. Yes, many public defenders are overworked and under paid. But NO, they are NOT paid by the prosecutors! Tax dollars pay for court appointed attorneys. When you go to court, meet with your lawyer and see how you feel about your representation. Further, as all attorneys are licensed by the State, you can research your attorney for experience, background and any discipline issues. There are many attorneys but most do NOT practice criminal law on daily basis. If you hire your own attorney, interview them and ask questions about their experience and hopefully they may have previous experience as a prosecutor, etc.

Court appointed lawyers are free. You are Constitutionally guaranteed a lawyer. However your court appointed lawyer is usually not your best choice. They are overworked and usually don t have the experience of a lawyer that you go out and get yourself. You have to decide if you want to go with the court s lawyer but remember this. Although they are sworn to defend you to the best of their ability, they are payed by the District Attorney s office