Is it better for your attorney to have "home court advantage?"

[alleincali]

I was told that in choosing an attorney you should pick one from the county that your case is out of since he may then have a "home court advantage" and better understand the intricate workings of that courthouse. Is this true? Also, I am considering a hiring an attorney who was a former DA years back since his fee is low. He is not rated under ******dale.com, but doesn't his former DA status speak of his competence? Another attorney told me it only speaks of his ability to prosecute, but defense is a whole different ballgame.

 

[CavemanLawyer]

It never hurts to have an attorney that is friends with your DA. It makes the process much less contentious and you can often eek out a little better plea bargain. Just make sure your local attorney isn't considered the local pest amongst the DA's office.

I definitely disagree that a former DA only speaks to his/her ability to prosecute. The main advantage that a former DA has is that they generally have a great deal of trial experience. A criminal defense attorney may go to trial once or twice a year on average. A DA is going to go to trial about once a month, and there is no experience like trial experience.