Christie M. Billman

She was given to me by the public defenders office. I first met her while I was in shackles bc I was taken to my prelim from the berks county prison n omg I should've waived it with her defending me. When u get arrested you're either released quickly or u get arraigned over video conference then u go... to jail. When you're in jail around here u can represent yourself or fill out a public defender form if u don't already have a lawyer. When u go to the prelim that's the 1st time u actually talk to or see your public defender, n they only give u precisely 2 minutes of their time before u both go to see the judge. I guess that could b considered the PA legal systems constitutional 6th amendment for prisoners. Anyway she presented a terrible defense to the MDJ because she didn't understand my situation very thoroughly based on what she read in the police report and the measly 2 minutes of her time that she gave me. Also the public defenders office NEVER DOES AND NEVER WILL will pick up the phone when you're incarcerated. Christie also comes off (to me at least) as very combative and objective rather than sympathetic and respectful which sucks unless u want to know what the DA is thinking, but then again that's who the PD works for. I'm sure that their are better public defenders out there because I myself have been represented by better ones. This is the type of public defender that will keep you locked up. She treated me like she didn't care about me...a public defender gets paid whether they want to help u or whether they want u to get the maximum sentence....this one screwed me over. You might as well represent yourself or get a respectful attorney.