Matt Horeczko - Do I Need a Lawyer When I'm Charged with a Crime?
It is almost always in the best interests of defendants charged with crimes to hire a lawyer. Many criminal defendants seek the assistance of a lawyer, especially when jail or prison is a possible outcome. It is very hard for a person to deal with his or her criminal case competently, says Matt Horeczko . There are no statistics on how many individuals represent themselves in criminal cases, but estimates range well below 1%. Power of Attorney In criminal courts, procedural discretion - the ability of prosecutors to decide whether to file criminal charges and what charges to file - is a major factor. The chief prosecutor has significant discretion in making decisions that can greatly influence the outcome of a case. On paper, an act may appear to constitute a specific crime, but it can also be reformulated into other crimes, some more and some less serious. What is a law book if it appears to be a fixed sentence for a particular crime but can be negotiated differ...