Public Defenders

New Orleans Judge Tackles Defense Ills

A New Orleans judge is shining a light on the city’s troubled public defender system. Judge Arthur Hunter Jr. has held hearings into problems plaguing indigent defendants as the justice system struggles to recover from Hurricane Katrina, the Los Angeles Times reports. He has called for more funds and notified…

Jun 27, 2007 4:12 PM CDT

‘Defending the Damned’ Isn’t Pretty

A new book on the work being done by public defenders in and around Chicago doesn’t sugarcoat the aggressively adversarial nature of their practice. But “Defending the Damned” does provide a fascinating in-your-face, fly-on-the-wall view of what actually happens in the Cook County Public Defender’s Office, as lawyers go about…

Jun 7, 2007 7:19 PM CDT

PD on the Defense for ‘Sham’ Marriage

A former chief public defender in St. Louis was indicted today on charges he arranged a “sham marriage” so that his boyfriend could stay in the United States. Prosecutors announced the indictment, which was reported by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The former PD, Eric Affholter, 40, and his live-in boyfriend…

Jun 2, 2007 1:27 AM CDT

Terrorist Informants’ Role Questioned

Defense lawyers and friends of some accused terrorists are focusing on informants, saying they exploited and entrapped defendants for money. Those kinds of accusations have taken a toll on the informant who helped convict Shahawar Matin Siraj, a Pakistani immigrant accused of conspiracy to bomb a New York subway station,…

May 29, 2007 3:37 PM CDT

Military Lawyer’s Career Hurt due to Gitmo Work

A Marine Corps lawyer who represented Australian David Hicks in a Guantanamo Bay case that resulted in a favorable plea deal has apparently suffered career repercussions as a result – and he is not the only one. In the aftermath of his aggressive defense of Hicks, Major Michael Mori has…

May 11, 2007 8:01 PM CDT

Psychologist Settles BTK Tape Suit

A psychologist hired to interview the BTK killer has agreed to pay $30,000 to settle charges he profited from a videotape of Dennis Rader’s comments. After the tape ended up on Dateline NBC, the state of Kansas sued Massachusetts psychologist Robert Mendoza, along with an associate and their company, Cambridge…

May 11, 2007 4:37 PM CDT

New Lawyer for Alleged D.C. Madam

A federal judge has appointed a new attorney to represent alleged D.C. madam Deborah Jeane Palfrey. He is Preston Burton of the Orrick law firm, the same lawyer who once represented Monica Lewinsky and accused spies Aldrich Ames and Robert Hanssen, according to the Washington Post. Palfrey had disagreed with…

May 7, 2007 5:42 PM CDT

Low-Paid Fla. Prosecutors, Defenders Are Quitting

Prosecutors and public defenders in Florida are leaving their low-paying jobs at alarming rates, according to the offices that employ them. The Miami Herald cites statistics from the Miami-Dade state attorney’s office. It lost 126 out of 291 attorneys in 2005 and 2006. The public defender’s office there lost 63…

May 2, 2007 6:33 PM CDT

Almost 100 Lacking Counsel to be Released?

With at least 82 indigent defendants in New Orleans totally unrepresented by counsel, Judge Arthur Hunter may make good on his threat to let them out of jail if public defenders aren’t provided, the AP reports. The judge ordered 42 unrepresented prisoners released last month, but delayed implementation of the…

Apr 18, 2007 8:16 PM CDT

Judge Slams Defense Tab

A Florida judge is criticizing a $46,000 tab for the defense of an accused murderer as one of the worst examples of overpayment that she’s ever seen. Defendant Luis Martinez has had four sets of publicly funded attorneys since his arrest in 2003. The latest attorney, Barry Butin of Fort…

Apr 10, 2007 3:20 PM CDT

New Orleans Judge Tackles Defense Ills

‘Defending the Damned’ Isn’t Pretty

PD on the Defense for ‘Sham’ Marriage

Terrorist Informants’ Role Questioned

Military Lawyer’s Career Hurt due to Gitmo Work

Psychologist Settles BTK Tape Suit

New Lawyer for Alleged D.C. Madam

Low-Paid Fla. Prosecutors, Defenders Are Quitting

Almost 100 Lacking Counsel to be Released?

Judge Slams Defense Tab

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