Your defence attorney is in a better position than the police to assess whether a guilty plea may prevent detention pending trial or lead to a more favourable outcome. Sometimes, a swift judgement is better than a long procedure, sometimes the opposite is true.
In relation to juvenile offenders, specificities arise regarding to the presence of the Youth Court Assistance, sentencing, in-camera proceedings and the rights of the parents of the accused.
Except in cases of mandatory defense, you need to cover the costs of your defence yourself, with reimbursement in the case of acquittal. Mandatory defense applies in specific cases, such as when the accused is in detention or accused of a felony. We act both as a mandatory and as a voluntary defence.
Susanne Lattek is working in the field of criminal defense.
