Location: New York (not city)
A few weeks ago I was contacted by the local police asking if I "have a blue truck" and if I had put trash into a dumpster in Livingston NY a few days prior. I admitted to putting trash in the dumpster and was asked to come down to the station for more questions. Unfortunately, upon arriving, I was placed under arrest and charged with the following: Illegal Diversion of Labor/Equipment for Benefit (a misdemeanor) and Unlawful Disposal of Solid Waste (a violation).
I have a court date in two weeks and will be assigned a public defender. My question is if I should use the public defender OR if I should pay 3k and have a lawyer show up to represent me. I spoke with him and he seems confident it could be dropped.
I have a very low income and would likely qualify for free legal aid if this were not a criminal case. I also have a clean record and have never been in trouble of any kind. I am very worried about this being on my record and the idea of facing a huge fine. But also don't want to be hasty and hire help if the public defender would be adequate.
Any advice is appreciated!
***follow up question: If I meet the public defender and am not confident in his strategy at the arraignment, would there still be time to hire the lawyer to represent me?