Do Not Take Advice from Prosecutor

I always thought it was self-explanatory, but do NOT take advice from the prosecutor.

Video Transcription

Hello, my name is Andrew Flusche. I’m a Virginia
misdemeanor and traffic lawyer. One question that comes up when
I’m speaking with potential clients sometimes and they’re
thinking about going to court themselves, is they’re thinking
about whether or not they she listen to the prosecutor’s advice.
The answer there is unequivocally no. The prosecutor’s title is
Commonwealth Attorney in Virginia. They represent the
commonwealth. You might have seen on TV where they are called
the district attorney or the people’s attorney. They represent
the other side. This is the person who is basically prosecuting
your case. They’re the reason you’re in court. They’re there to
prosecute you and to enforce the law. Why would you listen to
what they advise you to do? Now I’m not saying that any of them
are bad people. They’re very good attorneys and many of them are
very good people and it’s possible that they might explain your
options as, you know, very carefully, and lay the options on the
table for you, but at the end of the day, their interest and
their loyalty is to the commonwealth, it is not to you and you
should not listen to their advice. This is why it’s critical if
you’re facing a misdemeanor charge, especially in Virginia, that
you have your own attorney there. You need a defense attorney
who represents you who has only your interests at heart and can
make sure that you’re getting the best possible outcome on your
case.