Any case that proceeds to a court hearing and expectation of judgement becomes the fight for justice which becomes a very critical entity. While it may seem easier with more online resources to get legal information, and it may save the defendant some money, self-litigating one’s own case in criminal court may cause damage and be a burden to the bench, the court, the justice system and even the defendant. At the end of a court hearing, it is the preceding judge or a jury that must make a conclusion which affects one side of the conflicting parties. Our justice system recognizes lawyers as the best people to represent a defendant in court. In recent years, self-representation in the court system has drastically increased. This move might be too risky for most defendants.
It is important to understand the driving forces behind self-litigating in a court of law. Socio-economic issues are the main reason for self-representation. The cost and the retainer fees for a lawyer to represent a client can be financial astronomical. For some, it may even be impossible. “Many SRL’s (Self-Represented Litigants) find that the legal services that they can realistically afford to pay for, and / or prioritize as an area in which they want assistance, are simply not available to them other than in a traditional legal services model. Financial retainers and services billed at a rate of $350 - $400 an hour are beyond the means of many Canadians.” (Macfarlane 2013). Many times, lawyers will
Furthermore, legal representation allows you navigate laws that you would not have been aware of absent representation. This legal representation is very helpful as many may not know the rule of the law or understand it. Therefore the legal representation can help the person to understand the case and it is more likely to result in a fair trial that will achieve the required outcome.
COME NOW, PLAINTIFF, by and through her attorney of record, Corey Lightner, Esq.. of YOUNG’S LAW FIRM, and hereby files their Motion for Summary Judgment. The rule governing this matter is Rule 1.510(c) of
JEAN RIMBACHEmail: "2 RETURN TO COUNTY COPS AFTER ACQUITTAL." Record (Bergen County, NJ). 2014, June 07: L1.
When I had told my friends I couldn’t eat breakfast with them on Monday morning they gave me a puzzled look, as we always eat breakfast everyday together. After some confusion I had to tell them sorry I can’t, I have to go to court. I got even more confusion. They probably thought “Oh no what has she done or what happened?” but truth soon be told that I was going there just to watch some court cases. Upon telling them that it was just for an assignment, they all looked relieved that they hadn’t befriended a convict in their first 2 months of college.
In the United States, the adversarial system of justice relies on ensuring a criminal defendant receives a fair trial. The sixth amendment gives defendants the right to legal representation in criminal trials even if they cannot afford one themselves. Each city and county in the United States ensures a defendant the right to counsel. There are different ways cities and counties across the United States provide representation for indigent defendants. One such approach to indigent defense is public defender programs and is a popular system used by many states today. Public defender programs have been around since the 1900’s but gained popularity throughout the years due to the many indigent defense cases.
Many years ago, before courts existed matters was handled in a privately or informally. This often led to violence and unjust treatment of innocent people. During the rise of the Greek City States and the Roman Empire law enforcement became a public affair instead of private. (Siegel, Schmalleger, & Worral, 2011). Along with this movement became formalized courts and other criminal justice institutions. This allowed for law enforcement matters to be handled in a more civilized manner for resolving human conflict.
On Friday, April, 4, 2014, I observed the Vanderburgh County Superior Court to observe different family law cases. The cases I heard involved contempt of court for failing to pay child support, failure to appear for a court appointed drug test, birth certificate affidavit, request for contest hearing time, and an issue of paternity case. Magistrate Judge Sheila M. Corcoran was presiding over the family court hearings. When entering the courthouse, I was greeted by security and advised to remove any cell phones, and/or, any other items that would trigger a metal detector. After this, I proceeded straight to look for the family courtroom. After roaming around mindlessly for a couple minutes, I decided to ask the courthouse officer monitoring
Last, the state of New York deemed that if a respondent is competent enough to stand trial then the respondent is competent enough to waive the right to counsel. However, the law does have reasonable limitations that must be met prior to self- representation which include an inquiry concerning the defendant character educationally, intellectually, knowledge in legal matters, mental capability assessment, and the understanding of the absence of concession and the dangers of waiving
Acting as a legal practitioner is considered a “great privilege” and “offers the opportunity to serve the community in a profoundly important way.” Lawyer’s roles as officers of the Court and administrators of justice give them a monopoly on the delivery of counselling and representation services. In order to “maintain their capacity to serve the community” , legal practitioners must accept that they are
Hello judges, jurors, and everyone else present in this court room today. My name is Dr. Alyssa Diaz and I am an expert witness. I was called here to testify on this court case. Also I am here to inform you how examining a piece of hair from a suspect from a crime can help to find out who actually did commit the crime. There are some basic things that people should know about hair.
The two basic types of courts in the United States are trial courts and appellate courts. These two types of courts have two entirely different functions. The job of a trial courts is to determine questions of fact. Appeals courts, on the other hand, must determine questions of law. Appellate courts have the right to overrule jury verdicts and judges decisions due to the fact that an appellate court typically concerns itself solely with issues of law. An appeal is not the time to retry the case or to reargue the facts. In civil matters, either party can appeal the decision of the trial court. Usually in criminal matters, however, only the defendant may appeal a criminal conviction and the state is not
There are three women on the Supreme Court, one of whom is Latina, and there is one black justice serving on the Supreme Court (Brown, 2016). This is a major issue. The United States, the “melting pot”, has an extreme lack of diversity in their court system. This is an issue that affects several aspects of society. Decisions made by judges will affect the lives of men, women, and their families. The decisions made by judges can also create law. Unlike political officials, the people do not always have the power to vote judges into their positions. Instead, the people hope that their peers with the power to affect the system choose a candidate that will fight for them. Often times, this does not happen.
The first court that I attend was district court, the judge was Fernando r. macias
The courts of the United Kingdom are institutions there are aim justice to all and deliver fair and equal trails. Although ‘fair and equal’ are not always true to some cases along with ‘justice to all’. Never the less either convicting someone for unlawful activity or resolving a civil dispute, the British legal system employs a variety of courts in its application of the law. It much reminds me of my home country the United States the different level of courts I mean. Magistrates courts have the jurisdiction to try minor offences then for more serious offences are referred to the Crown courts. There are also appellate courts, which include the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court; formally known as the House of Lords. To
Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.