Do you have to be a lawyer to represent yourself on a trial?

What did you do OP?

No, but being a fool helps 🙄

I swear he was already like that when I found him, r1! 😏

Pro se Representation

[quote]Pro se representation refers to a situation in which a person decides not to be represented by an attorney in a civil or criminal court case. The right of an individual to choose pro se representation dates back to pre-Constitutional times in the U.S. Although individuals have the right to represent themselves during legal actions, there are certain requirements. For example, the individual must have the mental capacity necessary to represent himself, which may be determined by the court, if questioned. Additionally, an individual choosing pro se representation must observe all of the rules of the legal action and the courtroom, just as an attorney would be expected to do.

Long ago I used to have a job as a court clerk, seeing a couple of Pro Se cases. My recollection was that they were civil matters without a jury: judge heard both sides of the story, then gave finding. There was a disclaimer at the outset to the effect that the pro se litigant was not expected to know all the rules, sort of a hint that if the judge thought something objectionable privately, he might be inclined to disregard that if no pro se objection.

Thanks, r4 and r5!

I believe the saying goes "he who acts as his own lawyer has a fool for a client".