Representing yourself in court may seem like a great idea at the time, but you should weigh the negatives and positives before stepping into court on your own. While not hiring an experienced defence lawyer for your case may give you a sense of pride and also help save you money, it should be avoided. Navigating the legal corridors of the complicated criminal justice system will most likely be too much for an inexperienced person such as yourself, to handle on your own. Here are some reasons why it’s a bad idea to represent yourself in court.
1. You can make incriminating statements
Individuals representing themselves often lack specialized experience and knowledge. While attempting to plead their case, they may say things that may end up hurting the case instead. For example, certain facts that the accused believes provide support to his/her case may not be a legal defence to the charge. You must remember that the prosecutor isn’t your lawyer, so you can’t ask them for legal advice or help.
2. Your emotions could cloud the arguments you represent
Individuals representing themselves are bound to get nervous and as a result, they may become defensive when under extreme pressure. There’s a possibility that you may start making emotional arguments instead of attacking the evidence, which will reduce your effectiveness when it comes to defending yourself. Throwing yourself at the court’s mercy isn’t a good trial strategy or a substitute for a legal defence. You may simply end up irritating the judge which will, in turn, affects your case.
3. The court staff or the judge will not provide any coaching
The court clerks already have their hands full providing information and managing the court records. They are forbidden from filling out forms or providing any type of case evaluation or strategy for it. Both the court staff and judges are prohibited from providing any form of legal advice to anyone. However, there is a silver lining to this as most judges will be patient and take time to explain your rights to you. They may also encourage you to retain an experienced defence counsel, especially when serving jail time is a possible sentence.
These are some of the reasons why it’s best to hire an experienced lawyer and stay away from representing yourself in court. You will probably walk in with a lot of theoretical knowledge which will possibly be useless as two cases are never the same. It is not worth the risk which comes with it and should be avoided at all costs.