Public Defender/Assigned CounseL

A public defender is a court appointed lawyer for one facing criminal charges who is unable to afford to hire a lawyer. If the court makes a determination that you lack sufficient income to hire a defense attorney to represent you on criminal charges then the court will appoint a public defender to represent you at no cost or a relatively small fee based on a determination of how much you can afford to pay. In Washington State, the term “assigned counsel” is frequently used to refer to a public defender. Often defendants are unhappy with the services of a public defender or assigned counsel.


While public defenders focus exclusively on criminal law and therefore possess 
a relatively high degree of knowledge and skill as criminal lawyers, they are overworked and do not always possess the time that defendants expect to focus on their case. Defendants therefore are often not satisfied with their legal representation and desire another lawyer, especially one in private practice,
to review their case and represent them. The obstacle such unhappy defendants face is that they have no other choice but to be represented by a public defender unless they decide to represent themselves.


Although Help Yourself Law Firm does not represent anyone in court, it provides 
a low-cost option for getting a case evaluation from a private lawyer.

We can review the evidence on your criminal misdemeanor charges and provide our assessment of your defenses and trial strategy and discuss any possible non-trial dispositions in your case.