Donald Appignani - Attorney at Law
Compassionate
| Competent | Professional
Criminal Defense:
We provide aggressive criminal defense representation to
clients facing misdemeanor or felony charges, such as assault, theft,
drunk driving (DUI/DWI), drug possession, drug distribution and
trafficking, burglary, robbery and other charges.
Do I Need A Criminal Defense Lawyer? Any person who is facing a criminal charge, no matter how minor,
will benefit from consulting a competent criminal defense lawyer. Even
if the lawyer is not retained to provide representation in court, a
consultation will help a criminal defendant understand the nature of the
charges filed, available defenses, what plea bargains are likely to be
offered, and what is likely to happen in the event of conviction.
For serious charges, it will be a rare defendant who
does not benefit from having a competent criminal defense lawyer assist
with the negotiation of a plea bargain, or to prepare a case for trial.
A criminal defense lawyer should also be able to
identify important pretrial issues, and to bring appropriate motions
which might significantly improve a defendant's situation, or even
result in the dismissal of charges.
How Much Will My Defense Cost? The cost of a criminal defense lawyer can vary significantly
depending upon the jurisdiction, and the nature of the charges which
have been filed (or which are expected to be filed) against the
defendant. A lawyer will typically require a greater retainer for a
complex case than for a simple case. The amount of a retainer will also
typically increase with the severity of the charge filed against a
defendant. Sometimes, though, a relatively minor charge can require a
higher retainer, where the attorney expects to have to engage in
extensive motion practice, or where it will be necessary to utilize
expert witnesses.
In a misdemeanor case it is not unusual for a lawyer
to request a retainer of $2,000 - $3,000. For felony cases, retainers
often start at $5,000 - $10,000, and can be $25,000 or more for serious
or life felonies, such as sexual assault cases or homicide. The
anticipated cost of expert witnesses can also significantly increase a
retainer.
Private Defense Counsel or Appointed Counsel?
People who are charged with felony offenses, and many individuals who
are charged with misdemeanors, may be eligible for appointed counsel or
for assistance through a public defender's office. When a defendant
petitions for a court-appointed lawyer, the trial judge will typically
make an assessment of the defendant's resources to determine if the
defendant will qualify for an appointment of a criminal defense lawyer.
When an appointment is made, although the defendant may be ordered to
repay certain attorney fees following a guilty plea or conviction, there
will not ordinarily be any fee in the event of acquittal or dismissal of
the charges.
Some people assume that a court appointed criminal
defense lawyer will offer services which are inferior to a privately
retained lawyer. While it is certainly true that some public defenders,
some appointed lawyers, and some private attorneys will prove to be
insufficiently skilled or dedicated to their work to provide an
effective defense, it is generally asserted that the average public
defender will provide competent representation. However, a private
attorney usually does not have as many clients as a public defender and
normally can devote more time to your case.
In short, if you can hire an effective criminal
defense lawyer you should not hesitate to do so. But, if your means are
limited, you should also not hesitate to request an appointed defense
lawyer, and should not fear that you will receive inferior
representation just because your lawyer was appointed.
Other Practice Areas Don Appignani concentrates in the following practice
areas (click on the link for more information):
