Do I need an attorney for my criminal case in Florida?

Video Transcript

While you’re certainly not required to have an attorney, in other words, in Florida we do recognize your constitutional right that you could represent yourself or proceed pro se regarding your criminal case, I would highly advise that you speak with a lawyer to determine whether or not that’s appropriate for you to do. While you may go to court and you may think you understand what’s going on there, you may or may not understand the long-term consequences of any plea that you enter or anything that you would say in court, thinking that you’re helping yourself by saying it. The truth is, is that a lawyer can assist you in understanding any of the pros and cons of any legal defenses that may or may not be available to you but also the long-term implications of anything that you might decide to do relative to your criminal case.

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