Tales Of A Public Defender Investigator

Defense Investigator In Need

I don't know how many of you who read this (that also happen to be defense investigators) are members of the National Defense Investigator Association (NDIA) but in case you're not and you never visit their website, I wanted to make you aware of an NDIA member in need:

Mr. Clarence Short, an NDIA member from Gastonia, North Carolina has been hospitalized for the last several months and he is facing SEVERAL huge obstacles, most of which are financial. NDIA is running a raffle to try and help him out a bit. You can click on the NDIA link or here for a PDF file with more information and Instructions on how to obtain your raffle tickets.

I realize that there plenty of places that you can donate your hard earned money (I’m hoping there will be places to donate money for those poor folks in

Burma

) but this is a little closer to home. C’MON! The tickets are ONLY $5.00 and the few raffle prizes they have so far are pretty cool!

I’m not sure when the deadline is for entries or even when the drawing will be held but I’m sure you can contact NDIA President Matt Whalen (his email is in the Raffle Link which I don’t want to post on this blog because he’ll be swimming in Spam!) for detailed information or maybe you might have an item they could add to the raffle!

Do it now!

Labels: Defense Investigator In Need, Public Defender Investigator

This Carrot For President

If you don't understand why this carrot should be President. Read on and play the Bush-McCain Challenge! I promise its fast!

I just took The Bush-McCain Challenge -- an online quiz to see if you can tell the difference between George W. Bush and John McCain. Check it out, and see if you can do any better than I did!

http://Bush-McCainChallenge.com/?rc=challenge-friends&r_id=12589-1890433-R1wcRm

PAID FOR BY MOVEON.ORG POLITICAL ACTION, http://pol.moveon.org
Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee

Labels: Not Investigation Related, Political Crap

Really Quick

I will be commenting a bit more on the recent report on Defense Services in California completed by the California Commission On The Fair Administration Of Justice. I didn't want y'all to think that my last post was going to be the end of it!

Note: What do you folks think of this Courier font? Better than the Arial I normally like to use or is it too boring? You don't care, do you?

Labels: California Commission On The Fair Administration Of Justice, Private Defenders, Public Defender Offices

Defending Ourselves

Its very difficult for many people to understand.

Our local and federal governments actually PAY people money to defend people accused of crimes.

Sometimes they get paid A LOT of money.

Sometimes.

I work for a county office, so my check comes directly from the county. I get paid well and I don't complain. I work about 40-55 hours a week without overtime. Its a rewarding job....blah, blah, blah. You've heard me say this all before, but simply put, I wouldn't do it if I didn't enjoy it.

Many good, honest, tax paying citizens wonder why their tax dollars go to pay for the defense of "criminals." Their concerns are made very vocal during tough times in our local economy and law enforcement, Social services, and even teachers are getting laid off.

The good tax payers of [insert your county here] want to know why it takes 1.1 Million dollars a year to fund a County Operated Public Defenders office when there are parks for the kiddies closing and cops getting the old boot in the ass, because their grant funding ran out.

Its really a good question and nobody likes the answer...Its those damned pesky Constitutional Rights folks. You good taxpaying citizens remember what the Constitution is don't you? Ringing a bell yet? Good. I'm glad.

So, the accused in our country are allowed legal defense in criminal proceedings because the CONSTITUTION SAYS SO.

You wanna argue with that?

I didn't think so.

The problem is, our counties understand that they must provide legal services to the indigent BUT they want to save themselves and the good taxpayers of your county a few bucks, so they decide to get rid of the county operated office and instead hire a private law firm to contract out their criminal cases because...well, its always cheaper!

This is usually about the time when shit hits the fan. Oh yeah, I'm not a big fan of private law firms contracted out to act as "Public Defenders." My experience with them has been extremely negative and one such firm is even mentioned in the article I'm about to talk about.

The San Jose Mercury News (one of my favorite local newspapers) recently published an article by by Karen de Sá on the inadequate legal help received by inmates in California:

A statewide commission reported Thursday that many California counties have cut their spending for impoverished criminal defendants by providing them lawyers whose representation fails to meet constitutional standards.
Counties are increasingly hiring legal firms that offer cut-rate representation by failing to spend money on investigators or experts that are needed for adequate defense, said the report issued by the California Commission on the Fair Administration of Justice, created to examine ways to guard against wrongful convictions.
"This is like a cancer within the system of providing indigent defense, and it's spreading," said Gerald Uelmen, executive director of the so-called Fair Commission, calling the spread of low-bid, flat-fee private firms "a race to the bottom.

Its the flat-fee private firms like this that give Public Defender offices a bad name and more importantly, they have a good track record of fucking over clients.

When your local county is trying to save a few bucks in the next fiscal year and the talk turns to considering contracting out Public Defender services...save this article and please get a copy from the California Commission On The Fair Administration Of Justice to show them what a bad idea it is. You can also download it here.

Nuff said.

Labels: budget cuts, Private Defenders, Public Defender Offices

Desperate Times

Serving the public and being employed by a State/Local government has some great benefits but the downside is...Budget cuts.

No job is 100% guaranteed but it still sucks to hear that other Public Defender offices are going to suffer budget cutbacks...which is a not so nice way of saying, Layoffs. An excerpt from an article by reporter, Kelly Foreman of the Richmond (KY) Register:

State budget cuts will hit Madison County courtrooms hard beginning in July, and among those who will feel the effects most will be defendants who cannot afford to hire attorneys and those who represent them.

The Department of Public Advocacy announced this week that a $2.5 million reduction to its annual budget for the upcoming fiscal year will force them to lay off 54 employees and cut a variety of services.

While the full impact of those cuts still are unknown in Madison County, local office Director Scott West said funding to hire attorneys to help in cases with multiple co-defendants, called conflict cases, already is unavailable. One hundred and sixty-one conflict cases were conducted in Richmond during 2007, according to the DPA Annual Case Report.

“That is going to be an immediate thing felt at the Richmond office,” West said.

My own county is faced with potential layoffs in the next two years its still too soon to know where the cuts will be felt. Good luck to our Kentucky Brothers and Sisters!

Labels: budget cuts, layoffs