Expert Advice When You Need It Most
Public defenders give substandard defense. They just want you to plead out whether you are guilty or not so they can move on.While they honestly may be trying to give a good defense, they are under tremendous pressure to keep any case from trial. This system is seriously broken and as usual it is the lower income folks paying the price with prison time.
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Unfortunately, with the economy the way it is right now, a paid attorney is not a choice. And I never said that the PD's were not good attorneys. And there will be no plea. The DA is wanting to give 19 years confinement on a first offense. Or he will accept a plea of 10 years probation. We are going to trial as this is truly a situation where innocence is really real. However, the PD is recommending the plea so there will not be a trial. He has had the case less than a week, has not even met the defendent and does not yet have all of the paperwork that he needs. A court transcript from a codefendent is not available yet--since Mar 09. This is the second public defender assigned to this case as the first one left this system because she could no longer stomach the "deals". Oh, the chain of evidence was violated by the local police also. Attorney answers (3)Best Answer - chosen by asker 
Reputation Level 12
Answered over 2 years ago.
Criminal Defense Attorney in Lawrenceville, GA.
There is a crisis in GA where the legislature has continued to cut funding for public defenders to the degree that they are severely underfunded and severely overworked. My experience has been that most public defenders are "true believers" and execellent lawyers. You should never plead guilty until you are convinced it is in your best interest to do so. If you feel like your lawyer hasn't spent enough time investigating the facts of the case or explaining to you the relevant law, you should not enter a plea until you're lawyer has had more time to do those things. If you can afford to hire a private lawyer, I recommend you do so.
Best regards, Trey Phillips
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Reputation Level 20
Answered over 2 years ago.
Criminal Defense Attorney in San Francisco, CA.
What's the question? I disagree with you about public defenders but I see nothing to respond to here.
2 people marked this answer as good
Howard Woodley Bailey, licensed in New Jersey
Reputation Level 19
Answered over 2 years ago.
Criminal Defense Attorney in Newark, NJ.
I agree with Mr. Kaman and respectfully disagree with you about categorizing public defenders as giving sub-standard defense. While there are always some persons in any walk of life who are not as competent as others, painting all PD with the same brush is not appropriate. If you have a legal question or issue, please rephrase and resubmit, or directly consult with a lawyer licensed to practice law in GA . Good luck.
DISCLAIMER Since I do not practice law in your State, this answer is provided solely for informational purposes only, for you to use as a starting point when speaking directly with a lawyer in your State. This answer does not constitute legal advice, create an attorney-client relationship, or constitute attorney advertising. I urge you to immediately contact an experienced criminal defense lawyer admitted to practice law in your State before you make any decisions about this case. Related Questions7 Attorney answers: 
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