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ISP2605 -
You're forgetting that there's two possible trials that'll occur after your self-defense shooting - criminal and civil. And while the shooting may be 100% cut-and-dried (eg. your attacker was named Jason Voorhees, was smeared with fresh co-ed blood, and was shot in the process of chainsawing through the front door of your home at Crystal Lake), the civil trial is another thing again.
A good lawyer will make sure that you don't make statements in the heat of the moment, give conflicting stories due to post-adreneline rush confusion, or any of a number of potentially costly mistakes you might make that - even if they don't result in a criminal trial - will cost you heavily in a civil suit. And don't forget that the rules of evidence are much slacker in civil courts, so the most innocent-looking stuff that'd never see the light of day in the DA's case may still pop up to bite your civil defendant butt.
After all, when crippled ol' Widder Voorhees is on the stand lamenting how "Jay-Jay" always paid her medical bills, was kind to animals, and never slaughtered on Sundays...you'll want every advantage you can get.
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