Being legally allowed to state your own defense in court doesn't mean that this is always a good idea, even for supposedly minor offenses. There are many good reasons to always leave your case in the hands of a professional attorney, and especially one who is experienced in handling your type of case. Note a few of those reasons here so you know you make the best choice for yourself if you're ever arrested or accused of any crime.

Understanding your rights

You have certain rights when you've been arrested or accused of a crime, and if you were denied those rights, this could affect your case and even get it dismissed right away. However, you don't want to assume that you have certain rights or that police denied you those rights, and think that you can get your case thrown out based on that assumption. For example, you might think that you have the right to privacy when you're t the office, but your employer may be able to override those rights and allow police to search your work computer, your desk, and other such areas. Since each case is different and each circumstance is different, you don't want to make these assumptions but should talk to an attorney about what rights you have and if they were violated.

Trumped-up charges

A criminal defense attorney may be able to see if the charges or accusations against you are legitimate or if it seems that charges have been added on, just to bolster a case. For example, if you were arrested for driving under the influence, you may see that you have also been accused of evading police, resisting arrest, reckless driving, and so on. The attorney can then negotiate with the prosecutor to get those added charges dismissed or make the argument in court that they are not legitimate, so you don't face any additional jail time or other such unnecessary punishment.

Paperwork

Appearing in court doesn't mean just showing up and talking to the judge; you need to prepare certain paperwork that goes along with your response, any evidence you want to present, and so on. This paperwork is usually just as important as your testimony, as not preparing it properly can mean that certain evidence is not admissible; in turn, this can severely damage your case and your defense. An attorney will not only represent you in court but will also ensure that your paperwork and other such technical details are handled properly.

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