If you plan on getting a job in law enforcement or something which requires a clean record, then at any cost, get a private attorney. Next time, dont drink and drive.
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"The attorneys have told me that they could possibly get the underage d & d dropped."

And they could possibly persuade the DA to buy you flowers and pay your towing fee for you. The relevant word is "possibly".

In most jurisdictions, the PD’s are the most experienced defense attorneys working the courtroom. As an adult, your parents finances will not be taken into account in deciding whether you qualify for a PD’s services or not.

If there are legal grounds to challenge the arrest or the citation a PD will spot them. If there aren’t, you could hire OJs ‘dream team’ and you’d STILL go down. Since PD’s are in court against the same DA’s every day of their lives they know them, and the judges, better than anyone else, and know which ones will deal which crimes, and which ones won’t.

"I dont like the fact that I meet them on the court date and never get to speak with the prosecuting attorney."

NO lawyer will let his client talk to the DA. Anything you say to the DA is not privileged, and can be held against you in court. If you want a lawyer to ‘hold your hand’, cough up the $2,000.

To Chris…… there’s a reason that PD’s clients are found guilty more often. They ARE guilty more often. The *smart* person who’s been caught dead to rights and knows it doesn’t waste his money on paying a private lawyer.

To Mark….. A defendant should NOT talk to the DA himself under *ANY* circumstances. I have lost count of the clients who’ve said OK when the DA asks them if they want to talk about a plea bargain, and then when the "chat" is over the DA says "Sorry, no plea bargain – you’ve just given me enough of a confession to get a conviction on the original charge."

Richard
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