Understanding Qualifications for Court-Appointed Attorneys
Are you in the middle of a criminal law case and you don’t know if you qualify for a court-appointed lawyer? My name is Carl Birkhead. I’m an attorney with Wirth Law Office in Tulsa, Oklahoma. I’ve been practicing for about seven years, mainly doing criminal and family law. I want to help you make law easy by talking a little bit about when and how you qualify for a court-appointed attorney.
It’s not like most people think. A lot of people think that for any case in any situation, whether it’s a divorce, a lawsuit, a crime, or an adoption, they can apply for and get a free attorney. Unfortunately, that’s not true. In some cases, though, you still can. You have to fill out what’s called a pauper’s affidavit. In part of that affidavit, there’s a specific section for you to fill out or if somebody else bonded you out for them to fill out explaining why you should still qualify for a public defender.
Challenges with Bond Amounts and Qualifying for Public Defenders
There’s a presumption that if you’re able to afford a bond, then you should not qualify to get a public defender. In some cases, though, you still can. You have to fill out what’s called a pauper’s affidavit. In part of that affidavit, there’s a specific section for you to fill out or if somebody else bonded you out for them to fill out explaining why you should still qualify for a public defender, basically explaining why even though they’re able to pay $500 to get you out on a $5,000 bond, they can’t necessarily go and drop $5,000 on a lawyer.
Contact Us for Legal Representation
If you have questions about this or if you’ve been denied a public defender, but you still need legal representation, please contact us at 918-879-1681. My name is Carl Birkhead and I want to help you make law easy. Thank you.
