---
title: "Do I need a lawyer for both cases?"
description: "The Traffic Tribunal is a civil proceeding without public defender coverage. The District Court criminal case has public defender coverage if you qualify financially. Most defendants benefit from a..."
url: https://riduilaws.com/faq-items/do-i-need-a-lawyer-for-both-cases/
date: 2026-10-29
modified: 2026-10-29
author: "RI DUI Laws"
type: faq
lang: en
---

# Do I need a lawyer for both cases?

The Traffic Tribunal is a civil proceeding without public defender coverage. The District Court criminal case has public defender coverage if you qualify financially. Most defendants benefit from a single private attorney handling both tracks coherently.

Do I need a lawyer for both cases?[RI DUI Laws](https://riduilaws.com/author/admin_xxgjem88/)2026-10-29T22:27:54+00:00