Rasmussen College Private Defense Attorney v Public Defender Questions

T he Sixth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution guarantees the  assistance of counsel for the accused in criminal prosecutions. Every  accused has the right to be represented by an attorney in a criminal  trial and if he or she cannot afford an attorney, the government will  appoint an attorney at no cost to the defendant.

The attorney’s duties are to 

Advise the defendant of his rights and explain the criminal process

Ensure the court proceedings follow the law and that the defendant’s constitutional rights are protected

Negotiate for plea bargaining when appropriate

Zealously r epresent the defendant at trial

The duties of the private defense attorney and/or the appointed public defender attorney are equal. 

Write a four to five page paper to the topic: 

Compare and contrast the legal representation by a private defense attorney versus a public defender?

Does money buy a better defense?