How Do You Get a Free Lawyer

[HardTime]

My question involves criminal law for the state of: Nevada

How do you get a free lawyer if you are charged with a crime? Are they really as poor quality as the media makes them out to be? I have my life savings of 8k, will I be forced to use all of this if I am ever charged with a crime and need a lawyer?

I was looking for articles for this, but couldn't find anything concrete.

[jk]

different courts do it differently but generally, when arraigned, you will either be asked to enter a plea or, in some courts, they ask the gallery if anybody wishes to apply for a public defender. Of course, you would speak up then and ask for one. If you get to the point of being arraigned and asked for a plea, at that point, you should ask about a public defender. Tell the court you wish to have an attorney before entering a plea. They may enter a "not guilty" plea for you and then shuffle you off to the PD's office or whomever interviews a defendant to determine eligibility.

In any case, do not plead anything other than "not guilty" prior to being appointed an attorney or having your eligibility for a PD reviewed.

I

[tc498]

It depends on the charge how much a lawyer will cost,also if it's something simple like they caught you stealing red handed or with drugs red handed,then chance are either lawyer is gonna get u the same deal. It's really a crap shoot and some pds are great some suck,same can be said with a private lawyer. If case is complex then finding a good private lawyer is better imo b.c they can focus more time on your case.

Some pd are bad but I think they get too much grief at times,I seen great ones and truly bad ones. They are over worked and people expect miracle or don't understand how the court process works and just assumes he not helping or doesn't care. The court can a very complex,slow process that needs to be played a certain way . Some pd are private lawyers. I had a pd hand me his card and he was representing me for free. In some courts you are charge a fee for a pd .

[cbg]

A PD who posts on another board points out that most of his clients are actually guilty of what they are accused of, but expect him to be able to wave a magic wand and make everything go away. When he can't manage that, but is able to negotiate a lesser charge or a reduced sentence, they consider him to be a lousy lawyer because he couldn't perform a miracle.

Do I understand, OP, that you have not actually been accused of a crime, but are researching on the off chance that one day you might commit one? Or are you anticipating some kind of Kafka-esque situation where you are dragged off the street and accused of something just because you happen to be standing there?

[HardTime]

Do I understand, OP, that you have not actually been accused of a crime, but are researching on the off chance that one day you might commit one? Or are you anticipating some kind of Kafka-esque situation where you are dragged off the street and accused of something just because you happen to be standing there?

I wrote out this big long post, but I decided that this short answer would suffice.

Does it really matter why I asked it?


Was looking for actual law procedure that is written on the books on how this process is handled in the state of Nevada.

[cbg]

No, it probably doesn't. Except that we don't answer homework questions here.

[jk]

No, it probably doesn't. Except that we don't answer homework questions here.

actually, I believe it does make a difference. When a person comes here lamenting about their personal situation and asks about a PD, it implies the OP has a personal interest in the answer. If OP came here and was wanting an answer for academic reasons, the personal information is not-relevant and is simply used to persuade others to do their research for them.

The first, I have no problem helping. The latter is simply a lazy person and deserves nothing.

while it doesn't make any difference to the actual answer, it does make a difference as to whether I would be inclined to offer assistance or not.

so HardTime, why do you ask?

[HardTime]

Don't pretend to know information you don't have. It is only a fool who tries to learn proper procedure after an event where you got in trouble with the law. It is no homework and I am no law student. I went to the Nevada law website and could find no information about my question.

http://leg.state.nv.us/Law1.cfm

And I am pumping you all for information. That's why I'm here, only half my questions have actually happened. If you don't like it, then don't answer. You pretend to know something you don't, you are simply sifting the internet just like I am. I'm not the rude one here. A couple of you are.


Edit: And to those who are actually helpful and believe in sharing knowledge, I do appreciate what you do.

[jk]

Within that link are answers, almost exactly describing how you obtain a PD. The problem with any rule: all courts do not act exactly the same as others so there can be variances in exactly how this all takes place but the basic actions will be similar. I am not from or in e Nevada so I cannot cite you a scenario describing exactly how it all happens.

The only thing I do not know is what the eligibility requirements are other than "indigent". How much money you have on hand is not an indicator of indigence.

So, why are you seeking the answers?