Matthew J. Ruff Criminal Law Blog on Lawyers.com

For many, the prospect of appearing in Court can be a terrifying experience indeed.  Among the questions are What should I say to the Judge?  Will the Court require that I post bail? Should I appear with an attorney? etc.

What you must understand is that no one inside the judicial system cares about your case.  The only individual that cares is a retained attorney who will be acting as your advocate.  Without an attorney you will be at the mercy of a public defender who is often overworked and underpaid.  Do not get me wrong, public defenders are often great lawyers with a good heart, however, due to budget problems that stack too many cases in the lap of one person, the public defender cannot put the individual time required in any one particular case.

The first appearance is called the arraignment, During the arraignment or any proceeding in front of the criminal court, a criminal defense attorney can bring a motion to reduce bail. The judge decides whether to reduce bail and will consider the client's risk of flight and danger to the public. In a felony case, if your attorney is asking for an O.R. release, the court will most likely set the matter over for an O.R. hearing and order an O.R. report on the defendant. This process usually takes a week.

Special appearances occur when the criminal defense lawyer appears in court to ask for a continuance (a continuance is a request to postpone the proceedings to a future date) because they have not yet been retained by the defendant and the attorney has not been able to prepare their defense. Special appearances can only be made at the first appearance/arraignment.  

In conclusion, although a defendant can proceed without a lawyer, it is not advised.