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The Dirty Truth About Public Defenders

Criminal defense lawyers often decry the blue wall of silence.  Why don't police officers speak out about corruption?  Yet criminal defense lawyers defend the indefensible public defense system.There isn't a criminal defense lawyer reading this post who would, if charged with a crime, choose to be thrust into the public defense system rather than hire counsel.  Sure, you know a guy in the office you'd entrust with your case if he had the time to spend on your case.  You'd go into the public defender's office if - unlike poor people - you could choose your lawyer, and demand that he not treat you like another piece of meat on the assembly line.  Which means, in reality, you do not trust the public defender system.There are several weak defenses of the public defense system...continue to full post

Full post as published by Crime & Federalism on March 22, 2010 (boomark / email).