Legal Ethics
Overworked Florida PDs Try to Turn Away Clients
Faced with a crushing workload of, on average, nearly 400 felony cases per attorney, the Miami public defender’s office is taking a drastic step.
Like at least two other public defender’s offices in the state, it is seeking court permission to turn away clients, because the overworked lawyers in the office can’t represent them properly, reports Local10.com.
“Each person has a right to meaningful representation and a meaningful day in court. They are not getting that,” Bennett Brummer, Miami’s public defender, tells the Associated Press. He is to retire in January after 32 years on the job.
Related coverage:
ABAJournal.com: “Low-Paid Fla. Prosecutors, Defenders Are Quitting”
ABAJournal.com: “Starting at $40K, FL Jobs a Stepping-Stone”
