What rights do criminal defendants have to legal representation?

In Washington, criminal defendants have the right to legal representation in criminal proceedings. Everyone has the right to be represented by an attorney in criminal cases, regardless of the severity of the charges. This right is derived from the Sixth Amendment of the United States Constitution, which states that criminal defendants have a right to assistance of counsel for their defense. In Washington, the state is required to provide for legal representation for defendants who are not able to retain their own attorney. This usually applies to people who can’t afford to pay for their own attorney. In such cases, the state will appoint a public defender to represent the defendant. Public defenders are government-funded attorneys specialized in criminal defense law. In addition to the services of the public defender, an accused person may seek the services of a private attorney if they can afford it. Depending on the circumstances, this attorney may work with or even replace the public defender. Finally, it is important to remember that criminal defendants also have the right to represent themselves in a criminal trial, if they choose to do so. However, this is not recommended as it is best to have an experienced attorney to assist the criminal defendant.

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What rights do criminal defendants have to legal representation?

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