I need a criminal defense attorney pro bono TO REPRESENT FOR A for misdemeanor charge

Many attorneys right now in California are going through tough economic times so it is hard to find a pro bono attorney. You do have the right to an attorney and will get assigned a public defender if you cannot afford one.

My standard disclaimer: I am not offering legal advice, assume I do not know the law in your state and that I am just making suggestions for starting points for when you do speak with an attorney. Do NOT rely on anything I write and contact a lawyer in your area immediately after reading my posting.

If you don't have the funds to hire a criminal defense attorney then you should ask that a public defender be assigned to your case. Good Luck!

Are you looking for pro bono representation because you can't afford a private attorney? If so, just go with the public defender. The danger in having an attorney take your case for too small of a fee, and the same exists if its pro bono, is that you won't get true representation; instead, you end up with someone who doesn't value representing your case or your situation as a person, but rather as a file that just needs to be closed. To truly seek out a lawyer interested in helping you, you might want to show up in court on your arraignment date by yourself, ask to continue the arraignment because you're seeking private counsel, and then watch /talk to the other attorneys in court that day. Explain your situation to them, and see if you can get someone to help your cause. Good luck!

If you don't have the funds to hire an experienced and respected private attorney you will be appointed counsel when you appear at your arraignment. Appointed counsel can either be a public defender or a court appointed private attorney. If you qualify for court appointed cousel you will most likely be considered for other court appointed services, such as a private investigator and an expert witness for your defense. There are many very good public defenders who care for their clients. Their only limitation on their ability to focus on your case is their immense caseloads.

I agree with the other attorneys who warn you about low fee or pro bono attorneys. They seldom have the resources to spend on the case that the county may give you. Unfortunately, you may receive a bill from the county for some legal services, however, you may be able to pay them off with a payment plan.

Good luck to you.

If you are looking for a lawyer to handle your case "pro bono", it sounds like you are seeking the advice and counsel of a public defender. The Contra Costa Public Defender's office has several excellent lawyers to handle misdemeanor matters. You should apply for their services as soon as possible. In order to properly represent you, a lawyer will need as much lead time as possible.

It also sounds like you are also seeking to obtain a factual finding of innocense. A lawyer with the public defender's office in Contra Costa County should be able to file a motion on your behalf to clear up your arrest record. In some cases, the district attorney's office may even stipulate to your innocence if you were wrongly arrested.

In many cases, the prosecutor's office will not be willing to dismiss a charge that has been filed with the court. You will need an experienced lawyer to represent you. If you can afford an attorney, you should try to find one with experience handling cases in your jurisdiction.

First, you should contact the public defender. If you cannot afford an attorney, you are entitled to have free legal representation. Since you have not been convicted, there is nothing to expunge.