Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images; Rifle Police Department
- Rep. Lauren Boebert's son Tyler says he's had trouble finding a lawyer to defend him.
- Tyler Boebert was arrested by the Rifle Police Department in February and now faces 14 charges.
- "We are working to hire an attorney, but it's just been kind of hard with the prices," he said.
Rep. Lauren Boebert's teenage son Tyler told a court on Thursday that he was having trouble affording a lawyer to represent him.
Tyler Boebert, 18, was arrested by the Rifle Police Department in February after a "string of vehicle trespass and property thefts" in Rifle, Colorado. He initially faced 22 charges, including several felony charges for criminal possession of ID documents. Eight charges have since been dropped.
"We are working to hire an attorney, but it's just been kind of hard with the prices, but we are working on it," Tyler Boebert told the Garfield County Court on Thursday.
"Worst-case scenario, if we can't get something figured out with the lawyer, then I'm going to apply to a public defender or whatever works best for me," he continued.
He added that lawyers were advising him to "come into court today to figure out what's going on before we get anything settled."
Ninth Judicial District Judge John Neiley told Tyler Boebert that he had time to decide whether he wanted to hire a private counsel or apply for a public defender.
"I always think it's a good idea to maybe do both because if you qualify, you have options, and options are always good," the judge said. "But we can set this off for a little bit of time for you to make that decision."
Tyle Boebert's next court hearing date was set for May 9.
Representatives for Lauren Boebert didn't immediately respond to a request for comment by Business Insider.
Tyler Boebert's legal troubles have come at a trying time for his politician mother, who faces an intense reelection campaign. The teen also became a father last year after he got his girlfriend pregnant.
After Lauren Boebert finalized her divorce from her ex-husband, Jayson Boebert, in October, she said in December that she'd be switching congressional districts, moving from the state's 3rd congressional district to the more-conservative 4th district.
Changing districts hasn't given Lauren Boebert much of a boost at the polls. The Denver Post reported in January that she came in fifth among her fellow GOP candidates for the 4th district in a straw poll conducted with just over 100 Republicans.
"I love my son Tyler, who has been through some very difficult, public challenges for a young man and the subject of attention that he didn't ask for," Lauren Boebert said of her son in February.
"As an adult and father, Tyler will take responsibility for his actions and should be held accountable for poor decisions just like any other citizen," she continued.
According to an arrest affidavit viewed by BI, Tyler Boebert is one of four people accused of breaking into four cars in Rifle and stealing wallets to make purchases at businesses including McDonald's, Starbucks, and gas stations.
A woman who reported her wallet stolen as part of a spate of thefts that led to the arrest of Tyler Boebert told investigators she had a brain tumor and now wouldn't be able to pay for surgery, according to the court documents.