lol

In this scenario, most lawyers would say plead guilty and take the prgram. There will be no record afterward. A good lawyer or good PD sits down with the DA and shows them what they want to happen to their client or what their client wants to happen. This is not a serious thing like that. We aren't talking jailtime here.

This is not actually a serious case. A PD would definately tell you to plead guilty and accept the program. A lawyer might tell you to plead not guilty if what you tell him makes it sound like he could honestly present the case in a way that makes it look like you didn't do it.

However, you DID confess to the cop. Therefore, you already pretty much fucked up on a not guilty plea. If it goes to trial its Mr cop's word against yours so at this point your smart thing to do is man up, take responsibility for getting caught like you did to the cop, and go through the motions and at the end of them your record is clean anyway. The only reason you want a lawyer or a PD at this point is to know every step you can take as fast as you can take it to get the most lenient sentence available. In this situation where you've already confessed to a police officer, you are going to have to maintain a seamless lie to get off not guilty. You aren't looking for a lawyer to get out of it at this point, imo. You're looking for one for legal counsel so you know all of your options. Honestly I can tell you here and now that pleading not guilty would be an epic hassle and prone to failure as opposed to just pleading guilty and taking the program. In this situation, going with the flow of the law will actually be easier than fighting the current, since you've been offered programs that will get your record cleaned.

Smart people, regardless of how brilliant, don't always fully know or understand state mandatories or all legal proceedings. In this type of case, honestly, look into what they've already told you. Call the court or do whatever to get information about the conditional discharge and do it yourself if you want to. In court, what will happen is you wont even really need a representative unless you plead not guilty and take it to trial. You will just go to court, the judge will call your name, and he will ask you if you completed your program or something. What will probably occur is that the judge says that he sees you are eligible for the program and sentences you to a year's probation and court orders you to complete the program at that time.

If you don't understand all of this stuff you're going to have to do, shell out 50 bucks on a public defender and they will walk you through it. You honestly do not need a lawyer unless you plan on pleading not guilty, which at this point would be most unwise since its entirely possible that the judge will believe the officer over you.