Public Defenders

Judge to Review 1,100 Crime Lab Docs; PD: ‘This Could Be Pandora’s Box’

A California judge has ordered the San Francisco police crime lab to turn over for a relevance review some 1,100 pages of documents related to an investigation of a veteran technician suspected of stealing cocaine evidence during her 29-year career there. Depending on what Judge Anne-Christine Massullo sees, the review…

Mar 24, 2010 8:50 PM CDT

Juror’s Comment About Defense Lawyers Justified Mistrial, Appeals Court Says

A juror’s reported comment that “defense attorneys can be a––holes” is reason enough to vacate a cocaine conviction, according to a New Jersey appeals court. The appeals court upheld Judge John Almeida’s decision to declare a mistrial, the New Jersey Law Journal reports. A police officer who was a prosecution…

Mar 10, 2010 12:00 PM CST

Defendant Accused of Assaulting Police Dog Smacks Lawyer in Court

A New Jersey man accused of assaulting a civilian, a police officer and a police dog attacked his lawyer twice in the courtroom on Tuesday. The defendant, Anthony Montgomery, smacked Deputy Assistant Public Defender Philip Pagano in the face and later flung a microphone at the lawyer, according to APP.com…

Mar 3, 2010 4:39 PM CST

Happy Fellowship

Three associates find trading income for experience well worth it

Mar 1, 2010 8:40 AM CST

Prosecutor Suspended Over Plea Deal Allowing Victim to Slap Defendant

A West Virginia prosecutor has been suspended for one month without pay for OK’ing a plea deal that permitted the victim to slap the defendant in exchange for dropping the petit larceny case. Assistant Kanawha County prosecutor Stewart Altmeyer jokingly relayed the offer, only to have the one-slap deal accepted…

Feb 11, 2010 10:32 PM CST

Ex-PD Accused of Printing $1M in Bogus Payroll Checks

A former public defender has been charged with printing more than $1 million in bogus payroll checks to fund casino gambling sprees. Former lawyer Charles Bradford, 47, was arrested in a hotel room in Bossier Parish, according to the Associated Press and the Shreveport Times. Sheriff’s office spokesman Ed Baswell…

Feb 4, 2010 12:46 PM CST

After News That Lawyer Wore Wire to Jail, Inmates Ask, What About My Counsel?

Recent news that a 52-year-old Nebraska attorney reportedly wore a wire to the Douglas County jail to help the FBI pursue an investigation against a suspect in a multimillion-dollar marijuana case stunned the local legal community. Douglas County Public Defender Tom Riley, for instance, says he “about fell out of…

Jan 26, 2010 10:15 PM CST

‘Invisible’ Woman, 78, Jailed 2 Weeks By ‘System of So-Called Justice’

Arrested for driving on a suspended license following a misunderstanding about whether she had to appear at a court hearing after receiving a letter reinstating her driving privileges, a 78-year-old Florida woman qualified to be released on her own recognizance. But no one pointed that out to the judge in…

Jan 12, 2010 10:34 PM CST

PD’s Office Worker Allegedly Had Sex With Non-Client at Jailhouse Meetings

In a seemingly routine situation, an interviewer for the Pinellas-Pasco Public Defender’s Office repeatedly signed in to visit an inmate at a local Florida jail on behalf of his legal team. But when Pinellas County sheriff’s deputies launched an investigation in response to an anonymous tip, they discovered that the…

Jan 8, 2010 12:56 AM CST

New Ga. Rules Foster Volunteer Work by Deferred Out-of-State Lawyers

The Georgia Supreme Court has adopted new rules that help out-of-state lawyers who volunteer for state offices and nonprofits get valuable courtroom experience. The new rules allow the out-of-state lawyers to appear in court as long as they are accompanied by a lawyer for the agency where they work, the…

Dec 15, 2009 1:07 PM CST

Deputy Who Took PD’s Document Is in Jail, But Is He in a Cell?

A Phoenix-area courtroom officer who took a public defender’s document is in jail for refusing to apologize, but it’s not clear if he is in a jail cell. Adam Stoddard was ordered to publicly apologize for taking the document or to report to jail. He chose the second option. Stoddard…

Dec 4, 2009 4:41 PM CST

Capital Defense Lawyer Explains Missed Appeal Deadline

A Texas death-penalty lawyer, called on yesterday to explain why he blew a deadline for filing an appeal, blamed a lack of time to prepare and his client’s increasingly erratic behavior. It was the second time that lawyer David Dow was in the news for filing a late appeal. The…

Dec 3, 2009 7:45 PM CST

Deputy Who Took Lawyer’s Paperwork Ordered to Jail

A deputy sheriff’s officer in Maricopa County must report to jail today or a bench warrant will be issued for his arrest. Maricopa County Superior Court spokeswoman Karen Arra told ABC 15 that Adam Stoddard must report to the jail in downtown Phoenix. Stoddard had been ordered to hold a…

Dec 1, 2009 5:30 PM CST

Federal PD Wins Health Costs for Same-Sex Spouse in ‘Legal End-Run’

A federal public defender, thwarted in an earlier effort to enroll his same-sex spouse in his employer’s health coverage plan, has won a ruling requiring his employer to pay him for the costs of obtaining outside insurance. The Los Angeles Times calls the ruling by Judge Stephen Reinhardt of the…

Nov 19, 2009 3:00 PM CST

Delaware PD Notes Puzzling Trend: Fewer Cases

Delaware public defender Brendan O’Neill noted a puzzling trend during a budget hearing on Thursday: a lower caseload. O’Neill noted “a very slight downward trend” in the number of indigent defendants requesting public defenders, the News Journal reports. “At this point, it looks like we’re not in a growth industry,…

Nov 6, 2009 3:17 PM CST