Legally, there is no reason that you cannot represent yourself in a criminal case; however, the criminal court system can be complicated, and if you’re not familiar with the law, courtroom procedures, and the rules of evidence, you could lose out on defenses and end up facing unnecessarily serious consequences. An experienced Jacksonville criminal defense lawyer can navigate the technical and procedural requirements on your behalf, assess your case for possible defenses, negotiate with the prosecution using weak points identified in that assessment, and—if it’s in your best interest—hold the prosecution to its strict burden of proof at trial.