Um, I have no idea how this legal stuff works, but this place is such a fount of knowledge so I might as well ask . . .

My wife’s aunt (who is 60 years old and not the sharpest knife in the drawer) got taken in on a scam (despite warnings by family members) in which she has become “legally responsible” for a couple of million dollars. The police have come in and confiscated her computer and a bunch of other papers and she has now been arrested. She has no money for an attorney, and she’s being told (apparently) that in order to get the court appointed one she has to turn over her house, car, and dog (yes, she said dog) to the state. Now I’m not sure this is an accurate account of what she was told (she suffers a little from brain damage), but my question is this: when the court appoints you an attorney, do you have to turn over assets to cover the cost? I have no idea about any of this stuff, but from what I hear she’s getting completely railroaded on this (especially since the FBI has already caught the guy doing all the scamming). Anyway, I’d really appreciate any information anyone could provide on what a person has to do in order to get court appointed legal aid.