Q: What can you do when your public defender does not seem to be working for you but seems to be working for the state
We went to try to get some information off my phone that the Sheriff's Office had and I was told to give him my password so the sheriff couldn't see it and I did and my lawyer was facing me and the deputy was standing a little to the side and behind me and facing the lawyer like I was when all of a the sudden my lawyer turns around with his back to me holds my phone up and the password and I tell him that I can see the password and he says like he's mad I'm trying to put the password in the phone and I tell him that the deputy standing there behind me can see it too and the deputy goes I'm not looking. Now why would he deliberately show my password to the deputy and get mad at me if he is on my side it's like they're trying to Railroad me I cannot seem to get a straight answer about anything
A: First, any time your lawyer (in this case, your assistant public defender) makes you uncomfortable for any reason, you discuss the situation with him to see if the situation may be corrected. You may have misinterpreted the situation. Almost all attorneys working for the public defender's office are there to zealously protect their clients' rights and to ensure that no injustice is perpetrated on their clients, so the odds of your attorney conspiring with the prosecutor's office to screw you are extremely low, almost nil. However, if you are still uncomfortable after you discuss the matter with him, advise him that you're uncomfortable with his services and ask if the public defender's office can assign a different attorney. If the office refuses, then you advise your attorney you wish to make a motion to the Court to replace him. If he refuses to file that motion on your behalf, make a motion to the court yourself.
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