To be honest, I had no idea my civil rights had been taken from me. Believe it or not, in today's society criminals can't afford high-quality attorneys and must be represented by underpaid and inexperienced public defenders. Right before I went before the judge for sentencing, in my only meeting with the public defender who represented me, I learned I could face five years in prison for these two checks (again, totaling $162). The public defender urged me to plea out. I did. I received 90 days in jail.