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Why shouldn’t I represent myself in court?

On Behalf of | Jun 22, 2018 | Criminal Defense |

Being charged with a crime in Franklin, Massachusetts, is just the beginning of a very long battle. Criminal charges come with varying penalties, including fines and prison time, which is why you should never represent yourself in court. Let’s take a look at the myriad of reasons why representing yourself in court is never a good idea so you don’t make the mistake many have made in the past.

If you choose to represent yourself in court your emotions could very well cloud your arguments. You will likely be very emotional since you are directly involved in the issue. These emotions could spill over into the arguments you make and how you make them. Your emotions could also cause you to speak rudely or out of turn without even realizing it.

When you represent yourself in court you probably aren’t aware of proper court procedure and conduct. One of the biggest jobs an attorney has when representing clients is telling them how to behave in court so they don’t anger the judge or make a bad impression on the jury.

It’s also possible that you could unknowingly make statements that incriminate you while representing yourself in court. These statements will be heard by everyone and very difficult to strike from the record if you don’t know court procedure.

As you can see, there’s so much that can go wrong if you decide to represent yourself in court when fighting a criminal charge. It’s just not a sound decision when you are fighting for your freedom in Massachusetts.

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