Q: At my arraignment I opted to hire own lawyer
I opted to hire my own lawyer at arraignment. Shortly after I lost my job and couldn’t afford one. At arraignment I was given an advisement date to return if I didn’t have one. Will I be able to try for a court appointed at that time or will I be in trouble
A: You most certainly can ask for a court appointed lawyer. Don’t wait for the advisement date; speak to the court clerk about getting into court sooner to do this.
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A: Contact court services at the local courthouse and fill out a request for a court appointed lawyer. You may qualify if you are currently unemployed, depending on the type of charge you are facing and whether the prosecutor (Commonwealth Attorney) is asking for active jail time. Usually you need to fill out the request at least two weeks before your court date. The sooner it is done the better.
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