An audit by Seattle's city council found out what happens when you try to save money in indigent defense--you get what you pay for. Basically the problems with the new public defender program include lawyers in municipal court handling too many cases, not meeting with clients and providing representation that's pretty mediocre.
If lawyers are juggling too many cases, people accused of crimes "are not going to be getting adequate legal services," Nick Licata, the committee chairman, said this week. "Cases could drag on longer, and there's a greater chance of appeals down the road."
Duh. That's what you get when you shift cases from a respected office like the King County PD.
my controversial book about a day in my life as Public Defender in the South Bronx is finally available for Kindle and Ipad.
2 comments:
Correction: there is no such thing as the King County PD. The firms referred to in the article -- ACA and TDA -- are two of four private, non-profit agencies that contract for public defense services in King County. Washington does not have a unified public defense system. Each county handles its public defense needs in its own way. One of the frustrating things about being a public defender in Washington.
What is it about this fictitious King County PD that warrants the moniker of respected? Was the research you put into your book any more thorough than that which you put into your blog?
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