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SCARCE STATE RESOURCES CREATE LENGHTY DELAYS FOR DEATH PENALTY APPEALS

By Walin & Klarich

Despite the abundance of attorneys in California, fewer lawyers are willing to accept appointments for death penalty inmates, creating significant delays in the legal process. Defense lawyers cite the significant emotional and financial costs in representing death penalty inmates. Court-appointed attorneys usually do not have the funds available to pay for investigators and paralegals, which greatly contribute to an aggressive capital defense. These attorneys are sometimes also paid a flat fee per case, a practice which the American Bar Association discourages because it may lead to attorneys skimping on their client?s representation. According to the Los Angeles Times, because of the scarcity of state resources, the wait time for an appointed attorney in a death penalty case is between 10 and 12 years...continue to full post

Full post as published by Southern California Criminal Defense Blog on December 06, 2010 (boomark / email).