If I have a court date for a Class A misdemeanor, do I go to the court date and ask for a court appointed attorney or do I need to get one before the court date?

Get Legal Help Today

Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save

secured lock Secured with SHA-256 Encryption

If I have a court date for a Class A misdemeanor, do I go to the court date and ask for a court appointed attorney or do I need to get one before the court date?

If yes, how do I do that?

Asked on September 29, 2015 under Criminal Law, Texas

Answers:

B.H.F., Member, Texas State Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney

Answered 8 years ago | Contributor

The court's usually like for defendants to try to secure an attorney before they show to court.... it's not generally required though... it just shows the judges that you've made a good faith effort to find one before you go.  If you show up and say I want a court appointed attorney without any effort, they may want you to try to go find one first.  When you do reach to an attorney, make sure you keep a list of who you contacted and when.  Many judges feel that when a defendant shows up and says "I tried to find an attorney" and then can't name one person they talked to, they presume the defendant is lying. 
When you do show up to court...you can ask for an attorney then.  If you want to start the paperwork early, some courts will allow you to visit with an indigent defendense coordinator.  To know who that is, call the court cooridnator and see if the county where you are being charged has one.  (Not all counties have indigent defense coordinators)  If your county does not have a coordinator, then you'll have to wait until court. 


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.

Get Legal Help Today

Find the right lawyer for your legal issue.

secured lock Secured with SHA-256 Encryption