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Public Defense Essay

976 Words4 Pages

The Problem With Public Defense
In the judicial system of the United States of America, there is a complication plaguing the citizens of the poor. Public lawyers given to people who cannot afford attorneys are overworked and underpaid, causing individuals who sought the public defense to put them at a huge disadvantage as the average time spent on each case can be up to 7 minutes in places like New Orleans. This unequal representation can put innocent individuals in prison while endangering them in environments such as the prison system. This disparity puts law-abiding citizens into prison failing to incarcerate actual lawbreakers as well as wasting tax dollars. To strengthen public defense programs I propose 2 solutions which is to loosen …show more content…

Some public defenders take about 5 minutes of their time to get through a case while the norm for a private lawyer would be around an hour. In Wiltz, Teresa. “Public Defenders Fight Back against Budget Cuts, Growing Caseloads.” The Pew Charitable Trusts, The Pew Charitable Trusts, 21 Nov. 2017, says “Public defenders have complained for decades they’ve got too many cases and not enough money — or time — to do their clients justice.” Which can send innocent individuals being fined or put into prison due to a public defender. This is because public defenders are overworked and underpaid. They do not have the time or money to handle your case. Public defenders also don't have the right equipment to handle certain types of cases either. In “Five Reasons Why You Do Not Want a Public Defender.” The Morris Firm Five Reasons Why You Do Not Want a Public Defender Comments, it says “Building the strongest possible case for you will typically require more resources than a public defender can access. They will likely have a relatively small budget that limits their options.” Public defenders are at a clear disadvantage here as the public defenders don't even have the right resources to defend your case. Not mentioning the fact that they are also overworked and heavily underpaid. This is why it is important to strengthen public defense so that it is fair for everyone rich or

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