andrewpwoodberry

So question then: If you find yourself in that situation and you say

"I want a lawyer"

"That's not gonna look good to a jury..."

"Great. Lawyer?"

Will they leave you alone completely until your lawyer shows up? How long does it (usually) take a public defendant to show up?

Usually the public defender isn't appointed until you're arraigned, which could be a few days. If you hire private counsel they may show up sooner. The critical factor, however, is that the second you say "I want a lawyer" questioning MUST stop and they cannot try and talk you out of it. Anything said after "I want a lawyer" is inadmissible in court. If try to change your mind after that point and you make admissions, it doesn't come in at trial, which is why

it would be incredibly stupid for police to continue asking questions, no matter how good intentioned they are. In broad strokes, if a suspect says I don't want to talk but then changes his mind, the police can go forward with questioning but the minute the suspect says "I want a lawyer" then it's over. And the fact that a person refuses to talk or requests a lawyer can NEVER be brought up in court.