Chicago DUI lawyer says please don't try to represent yourself

Last week as I was leaving court a young man stopped me. I don't know what he was charged with, but the courtroom he came out of was a criminal misdemeanor room. That means upon a finding of guilty, or a plea of guilty, he could be sentenced up to a year in the Cook County Jail and face fines up to $2,500.

He asked me if he had a right to represent himself because the judge wouldn't let him do so. I told him he did have a right to represent himself, but it was not in his best interests to do so. Here's why:

• When you represent yourself you are held to the same standards as if you are a lawyer.
• Neither the judge nor opposing counsel, the prosecutor, are permitted to help you out.
• That probably puts you at a distinct disadvantage to winning your case based on your lack of knowledge of the law and legal procedures.
• Judges tend to dislike it, even when lawyers represent themselves. The belief being that when you represent yourself you lack the ability to see the other side of the case.

I know times may be economically difficult for many people. I also understand that by watching Law and Order you probably can do better than anyone against Jack McCoy. There's just one problem, Jack McCoy is a character played by an actor, not a lawyer.