Denver criminal defense lawyer / Warren Jeffs and what NOT to do

Anybody who reads this blog knows it's a good idea to hire a Denver criminal defense lawyer when you're charged with a crime. You should probably hire the best and most expensive lawyer you can reasonably afford, because to an extent you get what you pay for, particularly in serious cases. And if you can't afford anything, a court appointed lawyer will do an admirable job, but with limited resources. Of course, polygamists with 90 wives don't necessarily live in the world of the sane. Warren Jeffs fired his very expensive and no doubt very good defense team in favor of representing himself, right before the trial. All those $400 hours? Up in smoke. Not only that, but the judge declined to give poor Warren more time to prep a case without a lawyer. That's consistent what happens to most people who fire their lawyers. Defendants have a right to represent themselves, but they don't have the right to get more time at the expense of courthouse inefficiency if they spring it on the court like this.

However, insanity can be an insane pro se litigant's strongest ally. Prosecutors hate trying cases against pro se defendants, because basically they have to do all the work on both sides of the case. If a reversible error (one that can cause the case to be overturned on appeal) works its way into the case, that means that same prosecutor will probably have to do a bunch more work on re-trial. Judges also try to side with the pro se litigant, since basically they know nothing about the law and will not even be able to follow the most basic courtroom procedures.

This is coming into play in the Jeffs case in full force. For the third time he's asked the judge to recuse herself. And you have to say, his arguments are mighty persuasive:

"I am to now recuse you from this case," Jeffs wrote in his transcription of the message purportedly delivered by God on Sunday. "Now sign order to recuse thyself; and allow this proceeding to stop ... "

So taken aback was the court with this action (apparently, though it shouldn't have been a surprise as it was his third motion to recuse in this case) that it stopped the trial to let another judge look at the motion. Of course, even another judge is probably pretty unlikely to be much more sympathetic.

If you are on trial, do not take the Warren Jeffs method. It will slow everything down probably, make them all mad, but is likely to turn out worse for you. Hire a Denver criminal defense lawyer and let him do the work for you.