THE COMPARISONS STUDIED WERE: COUNSEL VERSUS NO COUNSEL; HIRED COUNSEL VERSUS PROVIDED COUNSEL; PUBLIC DEFENDER VERSUS ASSIGNED COUNSEL; AND EARLY-OBTAINED COUNSEL VERSUS LATE-OBTAINED COUNSEL. DATA WERE EXTRACTED FROM 1101 GRAND LARCENY CASES PROSECUTED IN 194 COUNTIES NATIONWIDE IN 1962, WHICH WERE EXAMINED IN A LARGER STUDY CONDUCTED BY LEO SILVERSTEIN FOR THE AMERICAN BAR FOUNDATION. THE FINDINGS INDICATE THAT HAVING AN ATTORNEY IS EXPECIALLY IMPORTANT WITH REGARD TO RECEIVING A PRELIMINARY HEARING, BEING RELEASED ON BAIL, AND RECEIVING A SHORT SENTENCE. IT WAS ALSO FOUND THAT HAVING A HIRED ATTORNEY RATHER THAN A COURT-PROVIDED ONE IMPACTS GREATLY ON BEING RELEASED ON BAIL AND RECEIVING A SUSPENDED SENTENCE OR PROBATION IF FOUND GUILTY. OTHER FINDINGS INCLUDE THAT HAVING A PUBLIC DEFENDER RATHER THAN ASSIGNED COUNSEL MAY MEAN GETTING AN ATTORNEY MORE QUICKLY, HAVING ONE'S CASE PROCESSED FASTER, AND BEING BETTER REPRESENTED IN PLEA BARGAINING. WITH REGARD TO EARLY- VERSUS LATE-OBTAINED COUNSEL, THE AUTHOR FOUND THAT EARLY-OBTAINED COUNSEL TENDS TO MEAN COURT-PROVIDED COUNSEL RATHER THAN HIRED COUNSEL, ESPECIALLY IN MORE URBAN COUNTIES, AND, AMONG INDIGENTS STUDIED, HAVING A PUBLIC DEFENDER RATHER THAN ASSIGNED COUNSEL.(AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)...EB