Jesus Manuel Zarabia, et al, Petitioners v. Hon. H. Stewart Bradshaw, Respondent and Real Party in Interest
Feb 13, 1996OUTCOME: Appointments offended effective assistance
Due to an excessive caseload for the contracted criminal defense attorneys, the Presiding Superior Court Judge appointed Lawrence L. Deason and Steven R. Morgan and attorneys to represent a criminal de ... fendant charged with a Class 2 offense of Importation of Marijuana. Against the objection of Deason and Morgan based on the assertion that neither were competent to handle a criminal matter because as Deason argued, he had been practicing estate planning for twenty four years, the judge ordered Deason and Morgan to handle the criminal cases appointed to them and gain experience in criminal defense from mentor attorneys. By way of a special action, the Supreme Court of Arizona en banc, the Court held that the Yuma County appointment process of civil attorneys to handle criminal matters violated both A.R.S. 13-4013 and Ethics Rule 6.5(c). See 185 Ariz. 1, 912 P. 2d 5 (1996).
