Legal Question in Criminal Law in New York

Re: pro - bono

Not if they know what they are doing. A criminal case is a suit brought by the state. The state has an obligation to help poor people by getting them a lawyer. Usually a Public Defender is the best lawyer around. They have investigators, shrinks and other help staff. The only down side is that they have huge caseloads.

A criminal case is a very expensive case to win, no lawyer should take one pro bono unless he is so independently wealthy that he can afford all the bells and whistles the client deserves. Few of us are ready to handle such a case with costs that could number in the thousands of dollars and no chance to recover the value.

If you are really unhappy with your attorney, ask the court for an 18b lawyer. An attorney who takes cases on a reduced scale from the state. Be careful however for what you wish for, often these lawyers are not as good as a public defender. On the other hand, occasionally you luck out and get the best lawyer in the county. A lot of us do 18b work as charity.

I hope you are one of the lucky ones.