Q: My boyfriend has a domestic a&b case against. He bonded out and we still cant afford a lawyer for his next courtdate.
The charges are by his ex and when he had his arraignment the judge set a new court date and told him to hire legal counsel as he bonded out. He had to look for work and is working now but we havent gathered enough to afford a lawyer for this felony charge. We called many lawyers and made an honest effort to find one within our means. Court is in 3 days and we found an affordable one but still need to raise a few more hundred to pay the retainer. What can we do if we dont have a lawyer by his court date? We did make all efforts to gind one and wrote down the dates and info of all the lawyers we called
A:
Unfortunately many courts have been pressured to tell defendants who are out on bond that they are not entitled to a court appointed lawyer if on bond. THIS IS NOT THE LAW!
My advice is to do as you have done, document at least 6 calls to attorneys who practice criminal law in the county, and the INITIAL retainer they require.
Try to borrow the necessary retainer,
from loan companies and friends & relatives. Documents refusals.
Request a hearing before the court, with a court reporter and present your case. Good luck.
Gary J Dean, Attorney
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