assault and battery
i have been charged with assault and battery with a former coworker even though he provoked the fight since i got thebest of him in the fight i was told by the ourt too pay his medical bills however i pleaded not guilty and now the case is set for trial 12-1-2008 at this points what are my rights under calif.law i really cant afford an attorney my wife just had a baby
Re: assault and battery
If you have a criminal case beginning on Monday but have no lawyer, you almost certainly have already rejected the services of the public defender. That was a bad decision. It may be too late to do anything about it now. You can ask the judge on Monday to delay the trial, but she will most likely say no. You should go to your local law library this weekend and learn as much about criminal procedure as you can so that you will have some chance if you have to represent yourself.
Good luck.
Re: assault and battery
If you cannot afford a lawyer, you should be entitled to services by a public defender. I hope that you are not contemplating representing yourself. You will no doubt come to regret it.
Best,
Jacek W. Lentz, Esq.
310.273.1361
www.lentzlawfirm.com