Indigent Defense Feud

PD's and private criminal defense lawyers squabble over crumbs in LA instead of joining forces:

"They (the PD's) allege the private lawyers want to change the composition of the board because it has steadfastly refused to shift more of its $9.7 million budget to fund first-degree murder cases, which usually are handled by the private bar. That shift would come at the expense of lesser cases, in which the penalty is not death, that generally are handled by public defenders."

The PD's are right on this one--death penalty myopia can do real damage to average but deserving criminal defendants.