Crime & Traffic
Worried about doing this on your own? You may be able to get free legal help.
Legal help in a criminal case
There are a few ways to get help with your case:
- You can contact a private lawyer,
- You can contact the local bar association in your county for a referral to a lawyer, or
- If you cannot afford a private lawyer, you might be able to get a public defender by asking the judge to appoint you one. Anyone facing a jail sentence has a right to a lawyer.
Public defenders and criminal court
Public defenders are lawyers who are employed by the government to provide free legal representation for people who cannot afford a lawyer. You can only get a public defender if you are the defendant in a criminal case. Free lawyers are not provided by the government in civil cases.
Learn more about your right to a lawyer.
Last full review by a subject matter expert
June 30, 2021
Last revised by staff
May 24, 2020
Worried about doing this on your own? You may be able to get free legal help.
