Representing yourself in a criminal case is not bravery, it is suicide with paperwork. You are walking into a legal minefield armed with nothing but blind confidence and Google searches. I have watched these self taught courtroom warriors mumble their way through arguments they could have won if they only knew how. It is like watching someone set their own hair on fire in slow motion. Even the worst lawyer in town will keep you alive longer than trying to play attorney in your own felony trial which is the express lane to a prison cell complete with free orange wardrobe and a concrete mattress. As a criminal defense investigator I have recently been thrown into the circus ring with defendants who decided they were too smart for actual lawyers. They have traded seasoned legal counsel for the thrill of playing Perry Mason in their own courtroom disaster. My hands are tied by court rules that forbid me from giving legal advice which is a shame because watching these self appointed genius...