How is a wealthy criminal expected to get a good lawyer?
<p>Say Carl the criminal is a bad guy who's rich. One day, he gets caught. They confiscate his phone and lock him up and deny bail. How is Carl supposed to find a good lawyer? He's locked up and doesn't have access to the internet or even his phone contacts. To be clear, he has tons of money that the very best lawyers would work for. But it means nothing if he can't search online for who's good, etc.</p>
<p>Or is it the case that they let Carl use a laptop and access Yelp or something to look for good lawyers?</p>

<p>If Carl is rich, he already has a lawyer.</p>
<p>Even if he doesn't already have a lawyer, he can hire the first lawyer he finds to find him another lawyer more to his liking.</p>

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<p>Everyone who has been arrested and is held in custody at a police station is entitled to free and independent legal advice (FILA) - see <a href="https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1984/60/section/58?timeline=false" rel="noreferrer">section 58</a> Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (PACE).</p>
<p>If Carl doesn't know of, or can't contact, a solicitor he can get one from the on-call duty solicitor list available from the custody officer at the police station.</p>

<p>Generally, police and prosecution want convictions to happen and stick. They do not want convictions tossed out by an appeals court on the argument that the defendant was denied access to counsel.</p>
<p>As such, the authorities will bend over backwards to make sure the defendant has access to independent counsel.</p>
<p>Now that the defendant has a lawyer sworn to serve their legal interests, they now have a minion on the outside who will serve their requirements, certainly including recruiting more high-powered counsel.</p>

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<p>Carl has a right to have someone informed of his arrest (PACE, section 56):</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Where a person has been arrested and is being held in custody in a police station or other premises, he shall be entitled, if he so requests, to have one friend or relative or other person who is known to him or who is likely to take an interest in his welfare told, as soon as is practicable except to the extent that delay is permitted by this section, that he has been arrested and is being detained there.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>He should choose as that person someone he expects to find and engage the most suitable lawyer (or to make sure that happens), as well as to collect the children, feed the chickens and turn off the oven.</p>

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