Article

Judge Slams Defense Tab

  •  
  •  
  •  
  • Print

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 Lauderdale, withdrew after working on the case for 14 months.

Broward County Judge Ana Gardiner slashed Butin’s fee request in half, to $10,600, the Daily Business Review reports.

Butin says he thinks his fee request was justified.

Give us feedback, share a story tip or update, or report an error.