That’s why they charge you with absolutely everything they can think of, which would result in 20 years in prison for minor offenses, and then offer you a plea bargain where you plead guilty to the original charge without going to court. If they can’t beat you with the evidence, then they’ll try to beat you with intimidation and the risk of fighting them is monumental. People with money can afford attorneys that will get those frivolous additional charges dismissed before the trial even starts. The public defender is too underpaid, too overworked, and too friendly with the judge and prosecution to offer you such aid.
That’s why they charge you with absolutely everything they can think of, which would result in 20 years in prison for minor offenses, and then offer you a plea bargain where you plead guilty to the original charge without going to court. If they can’t beat you with the evidence, then they’ll try to beat you with intimidation and the risk of fighting them is monumental. People with money can afford attorneys that will get those frivolous additional charges dismissed before the trial even starts. The public defender is too underpaid, too overworked, and too friendly with the judge and prosecution to offer you such aid.