Q: Is it truly possible to get a trespassing charge dismissed?
I went to the local McDonalds where I placed my order for fresh food. Was given cold food. Asked to drive back around for fresh food. Get back to the window, given same food. Ask for a refund was given partial refund. When told manager she didnt give the correct refund. She threatened to call the police because I gave her money back. Manager told police I threw money at her. Offer report states he watched video and I didnt appear to throw money at her. But I was arrested and given a ticket on site becaus I refused to leave without my last money for food.. I filed a complaint against officier same night. Officers brought money to station which was not the correct refund. I requested a jury trial but nervous and think I may need an attorney because I dont have a clue how to represent myself. Who can help me?
A:
"A person who represents himself has a fool for a client." Trained attorneys hire other attorneys to represent them when they find themselves in trouble. DO NOT attempt to run a jury trial alone. You need to contact a local criminal defense attorney quickly, or ask the court to appoint you one. You have multiple issues you are seeking to address, none of which legally have much to do with the other. You are going to trial on a trespassing charge, and so you need to focus on the specific elements the prosecutor will seek to prove and how you are going to defend against those. Those elements - and only those elements - are what a jury can consider in deciding your guilt.
In a trial, there are specific rules to follow. And you will be held to the same rules as an attorney. Those rules cover what questions you may ask, how, and when. The real tricky part in representing yourself is that you cannot testify as part of your examination of the prosecution's witnesses.
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