Attorney’s fees are expensive and can add up quickly, especially for in-depth and complicated cases. It can be tempting to act as your own attorney, but criminal cases carry serious direct and collateral consequences. Going through the process representing yourself can lead to disastrous outcomes and should be an absolute last resort, but where can you find affordable help in Colorado? Luckily, there are some options:
Colorado Public Defender
The Colorado Public Defenders Office defends people facing criminal charges free of charge in certain circumstances. If you are in custody you automatically qualify for representation through the office and a public defender will be appointed to your case unless you arrange for another attorney to appear on your behalf instead. Anytime you are out of custody you must apply for representation through the public defenders office, and will only be eligible for representation through the office if you fall within specific financial guidelines set by the state.
The Colorado Public Defenders Office has offices and dedicated, well trained attorneys throughout the state, and it is the first place to look for affordable representation. More information about how to contact the organization and the application process can be found at their website here: http://www.coloradodefenders.us.
Low Pay/Slow Pay List
Some courtrooms in Colorado maintain a list of “low pay/slow pay” attorneys, meaning a list of private attorneys that will work with lower income clients to develop a payment plan or offer reduced billing rates based on your circumstances. Unlike the Colorado Public Defenders Office, the attorneys on any “low pay/slow pay” list are not a single organization of attorneys, the list is simply a collection of private attorneys who have agreed to try and work with those who have limited financial means and are in need of a defense attorney.
The low pay/slow pay lists maintained by courtrooms can often be out of date, and not all attorneys listed will be able to take on the case of everyone that reaches out, so you may need to contact several before finding the right attorney. But if you don’t qualify for, or are uncomfortable with, representation by the public defenders office then a court maintained list of law pay/slow pay attorneys is a great place to when looking for reasonable representation.
Pro Bono/Reduced Rate Representation
The Colorado Bar Association suggests that every attorney provide 50 hours of reduced rate or pro bono services each year, and many lawyers strive to meet that suggestion. Even law firms not listed on any slow pay/slow pay list often carry a small number of pro bono or severely reduced rate cases at any time and if you catch the right firm at the right time they may have space to take on a case pro bono or for a severely reduced rate. It can never hurt to call and ask.
There are resources available to those unable to pay full attorneys fees, so representing yourself in a criminal matter should be an absolute last resort. Feel free to reach out to me directly at DillieLawOffice@gmail.com or (720) 507-3105 if you have any questions about anything or would like to discuss your case.