You likely won’t meet your court appointed attorney or public defender until your first court appearance.  This is far too late.  This leaves room for more error, such as self-incriminating statements to the police.  But, these potentially life-altering mistakes could easily be avoided with the advice of an experienced and knowledgeable private criminal defense lawyer.  Public defenders handle many cases at once and will likely not be familiar with your case until the day of your first appearance.  This could make you feel like your case is not being handled properly or with care. Basically, you are just another number.  Although a public defender should provide you competent representation, very often they do not have the time nor the resources to establish an effective defense.  They usually have only one or two investigators who must devote their time to the more serious cases, such as murders.  Ultimately, a defendant represented by a public defender receives the representation from an overloaded criminal court system.  This means that your defense is out of your control.  Most importantly, you do not get to select your criminal defense lawyer.  The public defender is appointed to you by the court, and you will typically not be able to change to a different public defender if you are not happy with your current one.  Fortunately, you can ALWAYS change from a public defender to a private attorney.  The only way you can exert control over your defense is by hiring a competent, experienced private criminal attorney.  A law firm like the Law Office of Purav Bhatt will have depth of resources, such as experts and investigators, a staff of legal researchers, and extensive hands-on experience.  The potential consequences of a criminal conviction on your record are severe and can be life changing.  It is vital that your criminal attorney understand that the rest of your life is at stake, including your personal life and your employment.  Your criminal defense lawyer should protect you with the utmost ability, not treat you like you are just another file or number on an overflowing desk.