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Court appointed attorney denied

Accident - Bankruptcy - Criminal Law / DUI - Business - Consumer - Employment - Family - Immigration - Real Estate - Tax - Traffic - Wills   Please click a topic or scroll down for more.

hogstop

Junior Member
What is the name of your state? MA

Aproximately a year ago, I was backing out of my parking space at the post office. There was a panel van next to me. As I backed up around him, I didn't realize a pickup truck had parked illegally next to him. We bumped bumpers. I still had my foot on the brake when it happened, and was doing less than 5 mph. I pulled back into my parking spot and got out to look.

I saw no damage, save a little bumper rubber transfer mark on either vehicle. I asked the male driver, who was alone in the vehicle, if he wanted to exchange info. He said "No, I don't have my license." Whether he meant he did not have it on him or did not have it at all, I don't know. At any rate, it was no big deal, and I left.

A couple or 3 weeks later, I get a ticket in the mail, saying I left the scene of an accident. Apparently the registered owner of the vehicle, a female who I had had no contact with during the incident, went to the police, and said SHE was driving, and I fled the scene.

Apparently the police went and found out who I was from the postmaster (I had a PO Box there at the time for a few years, and they knew me). They marked her down as a witness, although she was working in the building and not present when the incident occured.

After about a half dozen appearances, I was asked if I wanted to plea out. Since it is a load of crap, I declined to plead guilty. I also declined to waive my right to a jury trial. I asked for a court appointed lawyer, and was denied.

At the time, I was going through bankruptcy. The company I was working for went bankrupt unexpectedly, and it put me in a financial tailspin. I am still trying to catch up on my mortgage. My savings is nonexistent. I have no family to borrow from; and I cannot borrow any money from financial institutions, due to the recent bankruptcy.

I have contacted low income legal services, and been told they only deal with immigration problems and child welfare cases.

I don't know what to do next. This whole thing is a croc; but I am not an attorney, and feel like I am being railroaded here. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
 


moburkes

Senior Member
Ask a legal question, please. What advice are you looking for? You were the at-fault driver in an accident. But, apparently, you didn't mean to leave the scene of an accident.
 

hogstop

Junior Member
I have a trial coming up, with no means to pay for a lawyer. The law says I have the right to a lawyer, even if I can't afford one. What do I need to do to get the court to reconsider its denial of a court appointed lawyer?
 

ecmst12

Senior Member
I believe court appointed attorneys are only provided for actual criminal charges, not summary offenses (traffic violations). You should be able to do this without one though. Go to court and tell the judge your story and hope for the best. If you wait a bit, seniorjudge will probably post his "standard advice for going to court", or you could search his posts for it :)
 

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