Facing a criminal charge in Temecula can be a very stressful situation. Whether you've been charged with a crime before or not, you will likely worry about what's to come regarding the charge. One thing that a lot of people opt to do that can be very detrimental to their defense is they represent themselves in court. So, why should you avoid doing this in California?
The biggest reason why you should never defend yourself in court is that you likely don't know courtroom etiquette. Attorneys are trained on how to behave, talk and represent their clients in a courtroom. They know how to properly speak with a witness, a judge, and to the jury. You could hurt your case by speaking out of turn or with inappropriate language.
There will be quite a bit of paperwork involved with your case. Can you handle all of it? Do you know the proper way to fill it out? Do you know all of the deadlines for each individual form or packet? This is a lot of information to know top to bottom so that you do not jeopardize your case.
You might also not have any experience speaking with the prosecutor on your case. A criminal defense attorney will have this experience. This comes in handy when you want to negotiate a deal for a lesser charge. Can you honestly say you can handle such a situation? Why risk it?
Now that you understand why it's such a bad idea to represent yourself in court, make sure you have a strong team on your side to right your criminal charge in Temecula.