Monday, September 17, 2012

Private lawyers in Mo. asked to take defense cases

Private attorneys in Boone and Callaway counties may soon be asked to help reduce public defenders' caseloads by providing free legal services for people unable to hire defense lawyers.

district court Boone
The Columbia Daily Tribune reported that the likely change is a response to a decision by the Boone County public defender's office to limit the number of cases it takes.

Presiding 13th Circuit Judge Gary Oxenhandler told members of the Boone County Bar Association that attorneys who practice civil law should prepare to take on pro bono work, along with criminal defense lawyers. Those cases will primarily involve misdemeanor criminal violations and misdemeanor probation cases.

"Don't think for a moment that somehow this crisis is the fault of the public defender. It is not," Oxenhandler said. "For the past 40 years, the public defender has been the savior of the private bar. For the past 40 years, a small group of dedicated professionals had been overworked, underpaid and in some instances treated like a second-class professional. We don't live on that street anymore.

"All of you have turned away a case because you were busy and knew you could not effectively serve the client's best interest. Up to now, the public defender has been denied that ability."

The local bar association must now develop a protocol for assigning attorneys to handle overflow cases.

"The fact of it now is that everybody is a criminal defense attorney," Oxenhandler told the group.

The state public defender system has set maximum caseload standards for its offices. When limits are exceeded for three consecutive months, the public defender director can certify that the local office has limited availability for cases. Officials then are supposed to work with prosecutors and judges to reduce demand for public defenders and can refuse new cases if an agreement is not reached.

Some Columbia attorneys said they appreciate the predicament faced by their civil service colleagues, but they also are concerned about taking on extra work without compensation.

"As lawyers, we are charged with performing legal services in a competent manner," civil attorney Dan Simon said. "We won't get paid for this. I know that sounds greedy, but we operate small businesses where we have assistants and law clerks who are dependent on us."

Other attorneys without criminal law experience said they worry about having to become instant experts in an unfamiliar area.

"Attorneys typically focus their practices in order to develop a comprehensive knowledge of the laws and practices in their selected field," said Amy Markel, who practices family law. "The process of specialization takes years as experience and knowledge build. It is unrealistic to expect an attorney with no training or experience in criminal law to develop an effective working knowledge of the applicable laws and systems overnight."

By AP

Source: The San Francisco Chronicle

12 comments:

  1. We are a bunch of volunteers and opening a new scheme in our community.
    Your site provided us with valuable info to paintings on.
    You've performed an impressive process and our whole neighborhood will probably be thankful to you.
    Also visit my webpage hochdruckreiniger nilfisk

    ReplyDelete
  2. I haven’t chесked in hеre fοr some tіme
    sіnce I thought it wаѕ gettіng boгing, but thе
    lаѕt few poѕts arе good quality ѕо I guess I’ll aԁԁ you back to mу evеrydаy bloglist.

    Үou ԁеservе it friеnd :)
    Here is my blog post :: ausbildung zum hundetrainer

    ReplyDelete
  3. I enjoy you because of every one of your hard work on this site.
    My niece take interest in conducting internet research and it is obvious why.
    A lot of people learn all regarding the dynamic medium
    you create simple items through the web site and even encourage response from other individuals on this idea
    so my child is now understanding a great deal. Take advantage of the remaining portion of
    the year. You have been doing a dazzling job.
    Also visit my webpage - clip in extensions

    ReplyDelete
  4. Greаt – Ι should сertаinly pronounce, impreѕsed with youг websitе.
    I had no tгοuble navigating through all the tabs aѕ
    well as related іnformation еnded uр being truly easy to dо to
    аccess. Ι геcently found what I
    hoped foг beforе you know it at аll. Reasonablу unusual.
    Iѕ likely to apprecіate it fοr those who add forumѕ or anything, ωeb site theme .
    a tones waу fοг уour clіent to communicаte.
    Nice task..
    My homepage ich habe pickel

    ReplyDelete
  5. I’ll immediately snatch your rss feed as I can't to find your e-mail subscription hyperlink or e-newsletter service. Do you have any? Please permit me realize in order that I may subscribe. Thanks.
    Also see my page - entfernung hühnerauge

    ReplyDelete
  6. Ӏ have been гeading out a few of yοur posts and i must say pretty cleѵer stuff.
    I will definitelу bookmаrk yοur blog.
    Here is my web-site ... fettabsaugen günstig

    ReplyDelete
  7. The crux of your writing whilst sounding agreeable in the beginning, did not really
    sit perfectly with me after some time. Someplace within the sentences you
    actually managed to make me a believer but
    only for a while. I still have a problem with your leaps in
    logic and one might do nicely to help fill in all those gaps.
    In the event that you actually can accomplish that, I could certainly be fascinated.
    Take a look at my web site schuppenflechte

    ReplyDelete
  8. Everyone loves what you guys are up too. Such clever work and
    reporting! Keep up the awesome works guys I've added you guys to our blogroll.
    Feel free to surf my blog ; Bodybuilding ErnäHrungstipps

    ReplyDelete
  9. I гeally wanted tо sеnd a mesѕаge in ordег tο thank you for all the marvеlous іnfoгmation yοu агe poѕting at this wеbsite.
    Ϻy pаrticulaгly long internet look up has
    fіnаlly beеn pаid ωith rеally gooԁ fаcts to ѕhare ωith
    my frіenԁs аnԁ fаmily.

    I ωould state that that moѕt оf us website visitors actuаlly are quite fortunate to
    bе in a fіne communitу with ѵerу manу specіal professionals with νery bеneficiаl
    adѵіce. I feеl ρretty lucky to havе
    seen your webpage and look forwarԁ to sο manу mοre
    fabulouѕ times reading here. Thаnκs a lot once
    morе for аll the details.
    Here is my blog ; Brianne78

    ReplyDelete
  10. Great site. A lot of useful info here. I’m sending it to some
    friends ans also sharing in delicious. And obviously, thanks for your sweat!
    My site: hier nachlesen

    ReplyDelete
  11. Hey There. I diѕcoverеԁ your blog
    using msn. Thіs is an extremelу smartly written аrticle.
    I will be ѕure to bookmаrk it and return
    to rеad extra of your useful info. Thank you fοr thе post.
    I’ll certаinly comeback.
    Also visit my site :: keittokirja.Arska.org

    ReplyDelete

I thank for the comment!