Legal Question in Criminal Law in Virginia

trespassing charge

i have no record and was charged with trespassing when i was at the river (a public park) after dark. When i went to court i told the judge i was not contesting the charge but he essentially forced me to get a lawyer becayse the penalty could be up to 12 months in jail. since i am not contesting it i imagine the lawyer is just to negotiate sentencing with the prosecutor. this all souns fishy to me but can i represent myself or will i actually have to hire someone to get in touch with the prosecutor and make it go away. Thanks.


Asked on 8/22/08, 11:36 am

1 Answer from Attorneys
Michael Hendrickson Law Office Michael E. Hendrickson

Re: trespassing charge

Trespassing is normally a criminal charge(with certain civil exceptions), and under our system of criminal justice, a person charged with a crime has an absolute right to represent her/himself.

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Answered on 8/23/08, 11:26 am


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