Should i seek public defender or private attorney on theft charges for shoplifting?

Everybody who's telling you to get screened for a court appointed attorney is right on. Worst case, you don't like the attorney appointed to you for some reason and then you can consider hiring a private attorney. Best case, you get a great attorney for little or no cost who can get a good result for you.

I would suggest getting screened for a public defender to see if you qualify for one. It is always advisable to be represented by a lawyer whenever there is a pending criminal charge. Public defenders are generally very good, experienced lawyers who are very familiar with the specific court your charge is filed in and the individual prosecutors who will be negotiating your case. You must understand, however, that public defenders are very busy. If you feel that you need more time than your public defender can provide to you, you may want to look at hiring a private attorney.

The first thing you should do is apply for a public defender, because then you will start getting some valuable advice right away. If you decide to hire a private lawyer a bit later on, your new lawyer can take over the case. The second thing you should do is, as someone already mentioned, stop posting information about your case on this or any other public forum. And don't discuss the facts of your case with all your friends, either. Third, do not assume that one lawyer is better than another because one is in private practice and the other is a public defender. It's just not true. Many lawyers in private practice got their training and experience while working as public defenders. There are many, many excellent public defenders working in the Seattle area. Also, just because a lawyer is in private practice does not mean that he or she is better than a good public defender. So you can end up with a good lawyer or a bad lawyer whether you go with the public defender or with private counsel. It all depends on the individual attorney. However, one important difference between private defense and public defense is that when you apply for a public defender, you have no control over who will be assigned to your case. So if you end up being assigned to someone who you feel is not able to do a good job for you, doesn't listen to you, or doesn't inspire your trust and confidence, then you might want to shop around for a private criminal defense lawyer to take over your case. If you go that route, you would need to make a decision fairly soon -- it's not wise to switch lawyers after your case has progressed a long way. The other thing you have to consider is what you can realistically pay for. If you don't have much money, you may not be able to hire a really good lawyer. So if you are considering going this route, get referrals from people you know and respect, or contact the Washington Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and check out lawyers in their membership directory who do these kinds of cases. Then talk realistically about the costs with any lawyers you consider hiring. Finally, it can be hard to tell whether your lawyer is "good" or not. Whether you end up working with a private lawyer or a public defender, my suggestion is that you focus on whether the lawyer knows the law, listens to you, answers your questions, and is someone feel that you can trust and confide in. The issue is not whether a lawyer has lots of cases or not very many -- public defenders almost always have more cases to do than private lawyers, and a public defender may be harder to reach by telephone, for example, than a lawyer in private practice. In the end, though, what matters is whether you feel comfortable that your lawyer understands your objectives and is doing what is in your best interests. Good luck to you.

A deferred sentence will show up on your criminal history and will have negative consequences on your job search. As the other attorney noted, private attorneys have more time and resources to devote to your case. However, public defenders are competent attorneys who care a great deal about their clients. If funds are tight for you, you're probably best off going with a public defender. Last thing you want to do is hire a private attorney, be unable to pay him/her, and then have to go back to a public defender anyway, having wasted a good deal of time.

Private attorneys generally have more time and resources available to work on a case, but public defenders can oftentimes get a good result for little cost. It all depends on the specific facts of your case, including the arrest documents. If you're not sure about retaining a private attorney or a public defender, apply for a public defender and see how it goes. If you feel like you are not being adequately represented, then you may hire private counsel. Whatever you do, do not post more details about this charge on the internet. This is all public information that a prosecutor may be able to use against you in court.