Why would i need a lawyer for a misdeamor domestic assault charge?

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Why would i need a lawyer for a misdeamor domestic assault charge?

Asked on May 26, 2016 under Criminal Law, Oklahoma

Answers:

SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney

Answered 7 years ago | Contributor

A lawyer has three advantages over you, in terms of representing you at court:
1) He or she knows the law, including the rules of evidence, which means he/she is more likely to know if there is some problem with the evidence or case that would let you have the case thrown out or which would otherwise let you hamstring the prosecution's case.
2) A local attorney will know the players: e.g. the prosecutor and judge. He or she will be better positioned to negotiate with them than you are, to either get the charge dismissed or the punishment reduced.
3) He or she has no emotional investment in the case, unlike you, and will not take things personally and perhaps blurt out the wrong thing.
So do you *need* an attorney? No--you can represent yourself. But a lawyer will increase the odds of getting a better result. It's up to you if improving the chance of getting the case dismissed, or the charges or punishment reduced, is worth the cost of a lawyer.


IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Answer(s) provided above are for general information only. The attorney providing the answer was not serving as the attorney for the person submitting the question or in any attorney-client relationship with such person. Laws may vary from state to state, and sometimes change. Tiny variations in the facts, or a fact not set forth in a question, often can change a legal outcome or an attorney's conclusion. Although AttorneyPages.com has verified the attorney was admitted to practice law in at least one jurisdiction, he or she may not be authorized to practice law in the jurisdiction referred to in the question, nor is he or she necessarily experienced in the area of the law involved. Unlike the information in the Answer(s) above, upon which you should NOT rely, for personal advice you can rely upon we suggest you retain an attorney to represent you.

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