# Think Tank > U.S. Constitution >  Denied a laywer?

## Call Me V

I won't get too far into my case or information about me but basically, I am 18 years old and have no source of income. I had a court date on July 22nd and it was postponed to August 26th after I pled not guilty. The judge told me I needed to have a lawyer to represent me for the 26th so I went through all the steps to get a lawyers appointed to me through the court system (since I have no source of income and can't afford one.) I went back in last week to talk to my lawyer for the first time and when I talked to the lady that gave me the paperwork for the appointed lawyer she asked me my name, I told her and she said

"Oh, our records showed to the judge has denied your right to a lawyer"

I said, "But isnt it my right to a lawyer, and one will be appointment to me if I can't afford one?"

"Yes, but the judge can overthrow your right"

"So you are telling me the judge has the right to take away my right?

"Basically....yeah."


What should I do??? I really can't afford one.

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## Kraig

WTF?  What are you being charged for?

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## Call Me V

Like I said, I don't want to get too far into my information but basically I was with my underage friend when she stole something <$20 at wal-mart. I did absolutely nothing besides I was there with her.

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## LongStrangeTrip

Call the Legal Aid Society in your area. Tell them what you told us and see if they will help you. Legal Aid sometimes offers free legal assistant to people I think.

for example, in Texas:
Google: Legal aid society of texas

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## Kludge

AFAIK, judges of state criminal courts are to determine whether or not you're indigent enough to require the state spend money on an attorney. Failure to appoint counsel seems like grounds for an appeal if you can also prove it affected your due process rights (if the outcome of the trial was affected).

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## Deborah K

> I won't get too far into my case or information about me but basically, I am 18 years old and have no source of income. I had a court date on July 22nd and it was postponed to August 26th after I pled not guilty. The judge told me I needed to have a lawyer to represent me for the 26th so I went through all the steps to get a lawyers appointed to me through the court system (since I have no source of income and can't afford one.) I went back in last week to talk to my lawyer for the first time and when I talked to the lady that gave me the paperwork for the appointed lawyer she asked me my name, I told her and she said
> 
> "Oh, our records showed to the judge has denied your right to a lawyer"
> 
> I said, "But isnt it my right to a lawyer, and one will be appointment to me if I can't afford one?"
> 
> "Yes, but the judge can overthrow your right"
> 
> "So you are telling me the judge has the right to take away my right?
> ...


Request a continuance until you have been appointed an attorney, and request to  know the reason why you were denied.

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## Call Me V

Okay thanks LST.

I hope I am just being paranoid but the officers and I'm sure judges know me. I give speeches and I am in the newspaper every week at local coffee shops. I also have been confronted (when pulled over) about my newspaper editorials and articles by local LE.

Blah.

I hope I'm just being paranoid and not really getting fu**ed by the system.

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## Deborah K

> Okay thanks LST.
> 
> I hope I am just being paranoid but the officers and I'm sure judges know me. I give speeches and I am in the newspaper every week at local coffee shops. I also have been confronted (when pulled over) about my newspaper editorials and articles by local LE.
> 
> Blah.
> 
> I hope I'm just being paranoid and not really getting fu**ed by the system.


Try contacting the ACLU and see if they can help you.  Not that I put much credence in them but hey, it's worth a try.  This sounds like your civil liberties are being violated.

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## torchbearer

Here is the answer to your problem: http://www.lsc.gov/
They have local offices all over the country.

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## PaulaGem

> I won't get too far into my case or information about me but basically, I am 18 years old and have no source of income. I had a court date on July 22nd and it was postponed to August 26th after I pled not guilty. The judge told me I needed to have a lawyer to represent me for the 26th so I went through all the steps to get a lawyers appointed to me through the court system (since I have no source of income and can't afford one.) I went back in last week to talk to my lawyer for the first time and when I talked to the lady that gave me the paperwork for the appointed lawyer she asked me my name, I told her and she said
> 
> "Oh, our records showed to the judge has denied your right to a lawyer"
> 
> I said, "But isnt it my right to a lawyer, and one will be appointment to me if I can't afford one?"
> 
> "Yes, but the judge can overthrow your right"
> 
> "So you are telling me the judge has the right to take away my right?
> ...


Free attorneys are only given when there is a potential for incarceration.  So that means they are probably going to slap you with a nice fine.

Make sure they explain why you are not entitled to an attorney.  If there is a possibility of jail time they HAVE to give you one.  

Get a copy of all of the police reports and 911 tapes ahead of time.  MAKE IT CLEAR THAT YOU WANT UNDREDACTED TAPES AND REPORTS.   I learned that one the hard way....

Find  witnesses if possible.

Ask about the appeals process ahead of time.   Get a copy of the forms you have to have to fill out  in order to appeal without payment of costs.

Realize that an appeal may do no good.

Realize that you probably won't get any legal help (unless incarceration is an issue).

Realize the municipal court is a revenue source for the city and the judge will conspire with the police to deprive you of your civil rights in order to squeeze a fine out of you.

PM me please and let me know what the exact charge is.  I am currently preparing a federal civil rights case pro-se because of similar issues.  Believe me, you have my full sympathy.

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## PaulaGem

> Here is the answer to your problem: http://www.lsc.gov/
> They have local offices all over the country.


Another sham organization.  The reality is the guy will not find any help for a misdemeanor without jail time.

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## torchbearer

> Another sham organization.  The reality is the guy will not find any help for a misdemeanor without jail time.


I call you on this one. You are spouting bull$#@!.
I've worked hand-in-hand with the local legal services office.
They are awesome.
Maybe its just because i'm good friends with the guy running the place, but I get people legal help for free all the time.

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## PaulaGem

> Okay thanks LST.
> 
> I hope I am just being paranoid but the officers and I'm sure judges know me. I give speeches and I am in the newspaper every week at local coffee shops. I also have been confronted (when pulled over) about my newspaper editorials and articles by local LE.
> 
> Blah.
> 
> I hope I'm just being paranoid and not really getting fu**ed by the system.


You are not being paranoid.  Study your rights to free speech and federal civil rights code  for violation of rights "under color of law".

Did you know that the person you were with was stealing before you left the store?   That is very important.  You may answer in private.

Request reports on those traffic stops and 911 tapes on them.  UNREDACTED TAPES.  If you can't afford all of them, try to find the most egregious one.   You may need to convince the judge in court that you are ready to go federal.

Start keeping a diary of all police contacts.

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## PaulaGem

> I call you on this one. You are spouting bull$#@!.
> I've worked hand-in-hand with the local legal services office.
> They are awesome.
> Maybe its just because i'm good friends with the guy running the place, but I get people legal help for free all the time.


OK, then call the office in Colorado and get help for me with my federal civil rights case.   My head is bloody from banging it against the wall and I swear I've called that office in Colorado.

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## Cleaner44

Remember that the burden of proof is on the state. Give them ZERO information to use against you. This is very important, they do not want to help you, they want to win against you. Do not help them by giving them ANY statement they can use. Do not give them anything, even a denial, answer ZERO questions.

Get their denial of council in writing.

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## slothman

> Try contacting the ACLU and see if they can help you.  Not that I put much credence in them but hey, it's worth a try.  This sounds like your civil liberties are being violated.


Offtopic: possibly splitable
Why do you hate the ACLU?
What about the ACLJ?

back ontopic:
I don't the the judge can really take away your rights.
Like jury nullification(sp), they can say they can deny it but thay can't really.
Or that is what I heard - it might not be true.

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## torchbearer

> OK, then call the office in Colorado and get help for me with my federal civil rights case.   My head is bloody from banging it against the wall and I swear I've called that office in Colorado.


When are you calling? day and time?

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## PaulaGem

> Offtopic: possibly splitable
> Why do you hate the ACLU?
> What about the ACLJ?
> 
> back ontopic:
> I don't the the judge can really take away your rights.
> Like jury nullification(sp), they can say they can deny it but thay can't really.
> Or that is what I heard - it might not be true.


The ACLU only likes cases that make a big SPLASH.   They don't have the staff or the interest to assist in the preservation of routine civil rights.

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## PaulaGem

> When are you calling? day and time?


I can't tell you, I've been working on this for over a year now.

If you want to PM your email I can send you a PDF of the complaint that I have to rewrite for federal court.   It's pretty involved.   The municipality has a record of prejudicial enforcement, sex discrimination,  attempting and implementing unconstitutional law,  etc.   They need to be taken out.

We're taking cops on free drugs that they get for protecting the dealers.  Plain clothes officers tasering a kid to death,  kids growing up for generations in fear of the police.

I recently heard of a guy who did six years for ADW.   One cop tasered the other cop in a scuffle and he did the time.

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## PaulaGem

> Remember that the burden of proof is on the state. Give them ZERO information to use against you. This is very important, they do not want to help you, they want to win against you. Do not help them by giving them ANY statement they can use. Do not give them anything, even a denial, answer ZERO questions.
> 
> Get their denial of council in writing.


In my case I showed up in court with photographs that proved the cop and the witness couldn't be telling the truth.   The cop admitted he didn't ask where the collision occured - did not investigate - so his testimony was hearsay.

The prosecution actually CORRECTED AND CHANGED the testimony of their witness (a bicyclist who drove in front of me on an unlighted bicycle).

Uniform traffic code says that tie goes to the driver.   In his decision the judge said there were doubts but found me guilty anyhow.

The judge can say any damn thing he wants to in muni court and nothing has to be proven.

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## torchbearer

> I can't tell you, I've been working on this for over a year now.
> 
> If you want to PM your email I can send you a PDF of the complaint that I have to rewrite for federal court.   It's pretty involved.   The municipality has a record of prejudicial enforcement, sex discrimination,  attempting and implementing unconstitutional law,  etc.   They need to be taken out.
> 
> We're taking cops on free drugs that they get for protecting the dealers.  Plain clothes officers tasering a kid to death,  kids growing up for generations in fear of the police.
> 
> I recently heard of a guy who did six years for ADW.   One cop tasered the other cop in a scuffle and he did the time.


this is what you need to do-
you must contact your local legal services. they are funded by grants and they must show they are serving their local area.
So my guy can't help you.
Most legal services offices only take new cases once a week.
FOr example- our office takes new appointments beginning at 8:00am on every tuesday. The first ten people to call get their cases picked up. Everyone else must call back next tuesday.
So you need to call on the dot.

Find out what day your local office takes new clients.
During the follow up interview you will find out if they can help you or not.
Our attorney is a state attorney. He handles state cases, civil and criminal.
They may have people who do federal cases, so do still try them.

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## PaulaGem

> Try contacting the ACLU and see if they can help you.  Not that I put much credence in them but hey, it's worth a try.  This sounds like your civil liberties are being violated.


The ACLU requires "a letter, let us think about it, but we'll only take it if it is precedent setting."

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## PaulaGem

> this is what you need to do-
> you must contact your local legal services. they are funded by grants and they must show they are serving their local area.
> So my guy can't help you.
> Most legal services offices only take new cases once a week.
> FOr example- our office takes new appointments beginning at 8:00am on every tuesday. The first ten people to call get their cases picked up. Everyone else must call back next tuesday.
> So you need to call on the dot.
> 
> Find out what day your local office takes new clients.
> During the follow up interview you will find out if they can help you or not.
> ...


I know for sure that I have never been told of such a procedure.   I would have camped out all night for a shot at a lawyer.

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## torchbearer

> I know for sure that I have never been told of such a procedure.   I would have camped out all night for a shot at a lawyer.


did you ask them if there was a specific time they took new clients?

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## torchbearer

Legal Services gets its money by helping the most amount of people.
They have quotas to meet in their grant requirements.
They worked with our battered women's shelter because it gave them a steady stream of clients.
I don't see how you are having a hard time getting in with them- by their nature, they are looking for people to sign up.

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## PaulaGem

> did you ask them if there was a specific time they took new clients?


I begged for help, they should have advised me if there was such a procedure.

All of the free legal service I have spoken to have said they would not handle anything to do with traffic and nothing to do with business.

So since the cops gave away $40,000 worth of my stuff, and they harassed me with a bad traffic beef I was out of luck.

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## torchbearer

> I begged for help, they should have advised me if there was such a procedure.
> 
> All of the free legal service I have spoken to have said they would not handle anything to do with traffic and nothing to do with business.
> 
> So since the cops gave away $40,000 worth of my stuff, and they harassed me with a bad traffic beef I was out of luck.


you should file charges with the D.A.s office against the police department.
If your state law is similar to ours, a grand jury would be convened to judge the evidence to see if its worthy of a trial.

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## PaulaGem

> you should file charges with the D.A.s office against the police department.
> If your state law is similar to ours, a grand jury would be convened to judge the evidence to see if its worthy of a trial.


The police told me the D.A. wouldn't prosecute and I believed them.    I was hospitalized for a nervous breakdown for what they did to me.   There is some good CYA (cover your ass) law for government in Colorado.   No state prosecution unless you file within very narrow time limits.   Besides, they were protecting a drug informant at the time, the whole thing started because government was protecting itself.

Federal is the only option open.

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## torchbearer

then you must make it a law suit worth millions, and you need to sell the package to a private attorney.
This guy is the best in our state: http://www.goodelawyer.com/
He is currently about to win a $75 million dollar law suit against the rapides parish sheriff's department on behalf of my brother-in-law.
He regularly takes cases involving law enforcement misconduct.
Tell him Angel Doublet's brother referred you.
The worst he could do is say he doesn't have the ability to take on another case at that time.

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## torchbearer

Doublet is pronounce Do-Blay

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## PaulaGem

Here is a link to the services page for Coloradolegalservices.org.

http://www.coloradolegalservices.org...orado Counties

A bunch of do-it-yourself clinics, but no mention of help.

From the home page -




> # What kinds of cases can we help with?
> 
>     * Family law: domestic violence, divorce, custody, guardianship and others;
>     * Consumer/debt problems, including bankruptcy, garnishment, collection, repossession and others;
>     * Housing law, including foreclosures, evictions, landlord/tenant issues and others;.
>     * Issues for seniors, including living wills, medical durable powers of attorney, and more;
>     * Problems with programs like Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, SSI, and other government benefits;
>     * Other civil (not criminal or traffic) problems; and
>     * Immigration: We can help citizens and those who are (1) present in the U.S. and (2) have an acceptable "category" of immigration. These categories are complicated and assessed on a case by case basis, but include Lawful Permanent Residents and Asylees, among other categories. 
> ...



They have turned my case down flat -  Seeing those pages has refreshed my memory.  Due to brain damage I have BIG issues with my memory, sorry.

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## torchbearer

call FORMER UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE WILLIAM L. GOODE, i put the link in my prior post.
i think he has friends in colorado. if he can't take it, ask him if he could refer you to someone in your state.

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## PaulaGem

> then you must make it a law suit worth millions, and you need to sell the package to a private attorney.
> This guy is the best in our state: http://www.goodelawyer.com/
> He is currently about to win a $75 million dollar law suit against the rapides parish sheriff's department on behalf of my brother-in-law.
> He regularly takes cases involving law enforcement misconduct.
> Tell him Angel Doublet's brother referred you.
> The worst he could do is say he doesn't have the ability to take on another case at that time.


I am friends with the mother of the boy who was killed.   She had to carry her own acton for a year and take it to federal court before an attorney finally picked it up.

Her attorney can't take on another case.  I haven't been able to find anyone.  I don't think your attorney could take a Colorado case, but I would be happy to have a ghost writer or proof reader.   

I am a very good writer, but I really need help with statute, case law, and format.

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## PaulaGem

> call FORMER UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE WILLIAM L. GOODE, i put the link in my prior post.
> i think he has friends in colorado. if he can't take it, ask him if he could refer you to someone in your state.


Will do- thanks.

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## Call Me V

Paula,

During my last court date the judge told me if I plead guilty it would be a $200 fine and 30 days of jail.

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## PaulaGem

I don't get it - you HAVE to be given a lawyer if there us a jail sentence involved.

Please give me city and county, charge involved.   PM me if you must.

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## PaulaGem

Were you given your Miranda rights at the time of arrest?

http://www.usconstitution.net/miranda.html

Can you find a listing for the public defender in your county?

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## LibertyEagle

> Paula,
> 
> During my last court date the judge told me if I plead guilty it would be a $200 fine and 30 days of jail.


What's the charge?

Man, I'd really think about this, because depending upon what the charge is, it can mess you up for the rest of your life.

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## Call Me V

> Were you given your Miranda rights at the time of arrest?
> 
> http://www.usconstitution.net/miranda.html
> 
> Can you find a listing for the public defender in your county?


I was never arrested. So my rights were never read to me. After my friend was caught, they took us to the back, they took her home in handcuffs and I asked if I was free to go and he said yes.

But then the judge tells me I am looking at a $200 fine and 30 days of jail if found guilty.

The charge was shoplifting <$300

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## Call Me V

Here is my court docket

TBUT/DISP/SHPLFT <$300 (M)

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## pacelli

> *I was never arrested.* So my rights were never read to me. *After my friend was caught, they took us to the back, they took her home in handcuffs and I asked if I was free to go and he said yes.*
> 
> But then the judge tells me I am looking at a $200 fine and 30 days of jail if found guilty.
> 
> The charge was shoplifting <$300


As soon as you pled 'not guilty' to a charge, you opened the door for them to make a case against you.  By pleading not guilty, you basically admitted that they have jurisdiction over you, so now they're going to find any reason to find something that you are guilty of doing.  You can be charged without being arrested and without having your rights read to you.  

Did you think your only options were either 'guilty' nor 'not guilty'?

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## PaulaGem

[QUOTE=Call Me V;2259748]Here is my court docket
QUOTE]


City and County please.

Other opinions please - is it possible they are just trying to muscle him into being a witness against the other person?

V - did you know she was stealing before they stopped you?
     How did they make you come to court?   Serve you with a citation????

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## Call Me V

> City and County please.
> 
> Other opinions please - is it possible they are just trying to muscle him into being a witness against the other person?
> 
> V - did you know she was stealing before they stopped you?
>      How did they make you come to court?   Serve you with a citation????


Danville, Boyle County, KY

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## Call Me V

> City and County please.
> 
> Other opinions please - is it possible they are just trying to muscle him into being a witness against the other person?
> 
> V - did you know she was stealing before they stopped you?
>      How did they make you come to court?   Serve you with a citation????


And yes the officer gave me a citation for shoplifting.

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## LibertyEagle

I wouldn't be admitting to things on a PUBLIC MESSAGE BOARD, dude.  Seriously.  Take it to PM.

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## PaulaGem

You also have a right to a jury trial - did you do anything to waive that?

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## pacelli

PS-  You can also stand mute, plea 'nolo contendere', plea in abatement, plea in bar, plea in discharge, plea in reconvention, plea of release, plea of double jeopardy-- many more than just 2 options.

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## Call Me V

So what should I do from here guys?

Contact one of the legal groups posted earlier in this thread?

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## pacelli

> So what should I do from here guys?
> 
> Contact one of the legal groups posted earlier in this thread?


Probably your best option at this point in the game.

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## teacherone

> So what should I do from here guys?


umm...edit out all your personal information from this board...??

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## PaulaGem

Form 350 on this page:

Financial Statement, Affidavit of Indigence, Request for Counsel and Order

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## PaulaGem

http://dpa.ky.gov/




> History of DPA  
> 
> A half century ago the Kentucky Supreme Court held that "common justice demands" that an attorney must be appointed when a person charged with a felony is too poor to hire his own counsel. Gholson v. Commonwealth, 212 S.W.2d 537 (Ky. 1948). In the 1960s Kentucky attorneys began to request compensation when they were forced to represent indigents charged with a crime. In 1963, the United States Supreme Court determined that if a state wants to take away a person's liberty, it has to provide an attorney to those persons too poor to hire their own in order to comply with the Federal Constitution. Gideon v. Wainwright, 372 U.S. 335 (1963). While consistently unsuccessful in convincing Kentucky's highest Court that the judiciary could and should order payment, Kentucky's appointed attorneys did persuade the Kentucky Supreme Court to the point that the Court began to directly encourage the General Assembly to provide a systematic solution for paying the attorneys who were being made to represent the accused 
> On September 22, 1972, Kentucky's highest Court characterized the forced representation of indigents as an "intolerable condition" and held it was an unconstitutional taking of an attorney's property - his service to the client - without compensation. From then on no Kentucky attorney could be required to represent an indigent absent compensation. Bradshaw v. Ball, 487 S.W.2d 294 (Ky. 1972). 
> 
> While the appeal in Bradshaw was pending, the 1972 Legislature, at the request of Governor Wendell Ford, created the Office of Public Defender, now the Department of Public Advocacy (DPA), and gave it the responsibility to represent all persons in Kentucky charged with or convicted of a crime. House Bill 461 sponsored by Representatives Kenton, Graves and Swinford passed the House 60-18 on March 7, 1972 and the Senate 26-5 on March 14, 1972. It allocated $1,287,000 for FY 73 and FY 74.


I think this means if jail time is a possibility you have a right to an attorney.

The judge doesn't get to decide if that is the case.   It depends on if you fit the requirements financially and that is the purpose of the form I linked to.

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## ewizacft

> As soon as you pled 'not guilty' to a charge, you opened the door for them to make a case against you.  By pleading not guilty, you basically admitted that they have jurisdiction over you, so now they're going to find any reason to find something that you are guilty of doing.  You can be charged without being arrested and without having your rights read to you.  
> 
> Did you think your only options were either 'guilty' nor 'not guilty'?


You can challenge jurisdiction at any time.





> PS-  You can also stand mute, plea 'nolo contendere', plea in abatement, plea in bar, plea in discharge, plea in reconvention, plea of release, plea of double jeopardy-- many more than just 2 options.


Nolo contendere is a guilty plea.  Standing mute will result in the court entering a plea of not guilty for you.  And more blah blah blah.


Do not play the game.  Challenge jurisdiction.

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## PaulaGem

> You can challenge jurisdiction at any time.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Nolo contendere is a guilty plea.  Standing mute will result in the court entering a plea of not guilty for you.  And more blah blah blah.
> 
> 
> Do not play the game.  Challenge jurisdiction.


How would one challenge jurisdiction if you were physically present in the geographic area that the officer and court are assigned to?

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## PaulaGem

Let's say he and the girl were shopping.   She decides to pocket something, he says put it back, she says no, then he says we're getting out of here....

She is arrested he is ticketed.

Is there anything he could do other than plead the fifth, bring character witnesses that say "this sweet little boy doesn't steal", and hope for a suspended sentence that will disappear if he keeps out of trouble?

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## foofighter20x

> I wouldn't be admitting to things on a PUBLIC MESSAGE BOARD, dude.  Seriously.  *Take it to PM.*


This.

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## foofighter20x

> I don't get it - you HAVE to be given a lawyer if there us a jail sentence involved.


Right to free counsel is only for indigents. If the court decides he's not an indigent--i.e., he's wealthy enough to afford to hire an attorney--then he's S.O.L. until he hires an atty or finds one who will work _pro bono_.

He can claim to be indigent all he wants. Until he fills out that financial statement form with the county and they determine whether or not he is eligible, the presumption is that he's not.

If they do find he's not able to afford an attorney, then because there's a potential for 30 days in jail, he'd be entitled to an attorney.

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## PaulaGem

> Right to free counsel is only for indigents. If the court decides he's not an indigent--i.e., he's wealthy enough to afford to hire an attorney--then he's S.O.L. until he hires an atty or finds one who will work _pro bono_.
> 
> He can claim to be indigent all he wants. Until he fills out that financial statement form with the county and they determine whether or not he is eligible, the presumption is that he's not.
> 
> If they do find he's not able to afford an attorney, then because there's a potential for 30 days in jail, he'd be entitled to an attorney.


That's why I linked to the form he has to fill out.   There is a standard formula.   I had a municipal issue and they actually applied their own standard and denied me while the superior court applied the proper state wide formula and approved me twice (for filing without costs).   Now I'm going to sue them on civil rights - denial of equal protection under the law.

This young man was supposed to contact me personally, but didn't.   I guess he didn't get what he was looking for here.

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## Call Me V

> Right to free counsel is only for indigents. If the court decides he's not an indigent--i.e., he's wealthy enough to afford to hire an attorney--then he's S.O.L. until he hires an atty or finds one who will work _pro bono_.
> 
> He can claim to be indigent all he wants. Until he fills out that financial statement form with the county and they determine whether or not he is eligible, the presumption is that he's not.
> 
> If they do find he's not able to afford an attorney, then because there's a potential for 30 days in jail, he'd be entitled to an attorney.


I filed out a form.

I have no job, no source of income, and I live with a friend.

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## Call Me V

I already filled out that form....

That was apart of the form I had to fill out to request a lawyer....

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## PaulaGem

> I already filled out that form....
> 
> That was apart of the form I had to fill out to request a lawyer....


Good to see you are back.

Now - look up or ask someone what the mathematical formula is for deciding if you qualify.   The law is supposed to be specific and not up to the whim of an individual judge.   In Colorado the forumula is in a Chief Justice Directive and all courts in the state are supposed to use the same formula.

If you run the numbers and you qualify, I would go to the office of the public defenders (I linked to it above) and tell them you fit the requirements and you want legal council.   If they say no - tell them to put it in writing or perhaps you should take a witness with you.   Is your friend getting an attorney?  

These are your rights under the Constitution of the United States.  Standing up here is more important than speaking in a coffee house.

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## PaulaGem

> I already filled out that form....
> 
> That was apart of the form I had to fill out to request a lawyer....


It's possible that they are going to try to press you at the pretrial conference and then appoint an attorney if they have to  - that is wrong.

Study your fifth amendment rights.    Say Nothing - on the grounds that it might incriminate you or someone else (your friend).   That is your right.

Say nothing, except perhaps that you are aware that you fit the state requirements for free legal council when presented with possible jail time.

Look up "Habeus Corpus" and understand that legal concept too.

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