A person charged with a criminal offense has the right to an attorney. This right is guaranteed under Article I, Sec. 15 of the California Constitution. which states "The defendant in a criminal cause has the right to a speedy public trial, to compel attendance of witnesses in the
defendant's behalf, to have the assistance of counsel for the
defendant's defense, to be personally present with counsel...".

       If you are unable to afford an attorney, the state will provide an attorney to represent you. In most counties, the court appointed attorneys are called Public Defenders. These are qualified attorneys who work for the County and are available to assist defendants.

Finding a Private Attorney

       If you are looking to talk to a private attorney about your criminal case or want to retain an attorney to represent you, then there are many lawyer referral services that are available that you can contact. They are the State Bar of California, personal referrals, the Internet and the yellow pages in your local phone book.

Specialists in Criminal Law

       In fact, the California State Bar will license some attorneys as specialists in the area of criminal law if the attorney can pass a written examination, demonstrate a high level of knowledge and experience in criminal law and receive favorable evaluations from attorneys and judges in their area of practice.

       As a general rule, it is usually helpful to get an attorney who is familiar with the courts where your case is pending. You would want a criminal defense who knows the judges and knows the prosecutors. Different counties have different methods of operation and it is generally beneficial to know the people involved.

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Importance of Finding an Good Attorney

       The important thing to remember is to get an attorney involved as soon as possible. Many things that need to be done at the beginning of the case might not be available if you wait too long. There are many issues that need to be dealt with right away, such as the amount of bail, locating witnesses or preserving possible exculpatory evidence.

       Once you have interviewed with one or more attorneys, you can also go to the State Bar website to look up the attorney's official bar membership record, which includes any discipline history.