6 Benton Co. public defenders quit; reasons vague
RICHLAND, Wash. (AP) - Six of the nine lawyers with contracts to represent poor defendants in Benton County Superior Court have quit.
The Tri-City Herald reports that reasons for the resignations aren't clear, but could relate to new rules adopted by the state Supreme Court limiting how many cases public defenders can handle.
Eric Hsu, the indigent defense coordinator for Benton and Franklin counties, says he hopes to speak with the attorneys next week.
The Supreme Court's new rules say full-time public defenders should take on no more than 150 felony cases each year or 300 misdemeanor cases, and that if they work that many cases they can't do any private practice work on the side.
Benton County's contract lawyers have a 150-felony-case cap and get paid $82,105 a year. Several have also done additional private work.
The newspaper reported that it contacted four of the lawyers who quit on Friday, but each said they couldn't discuss the issue until next week.
The Tri-City Herald reports that reasons for the resignations aren't clear, but could relate to new rules adopted by the state Supreme Court limiting how many cases public defenders can handle.
Eric Hsu, the indigent defense coordinator for Benton and Franklin counties, says he hopes to speak with the attorneys next week.
The Supreme Court's new rules say full-time public defenders should take on no more than 150 felony cases each year or 300 misdemeanor cases, and that if they work that many cases they can't do any private practice work on the side.
Benton County's contract lawyers have a 150-felony-case cap and get paid $82,105 a year. Several have also done additional private work.
The newspaper reported that it contacted four of the lawyers who quit on Friday, but each said they couldn't discuss the issue until next week.
6 fewer defense lawyers is bad news?
Could be good news for those charged with crimes. Just don't wave your right to a speedy trial. If no defense attorneys are available to represent you then they will have to drop the charges. Of course they can recharge you later after they fix the problem.
Personally I think for a fairer system of justice they need to pass a law that the defense gets to spend just as much money on a case as the prosecutor. That would make it a fairer system.
@Blindman The system gives too much advantage to the criminal, why give more money to them?
 @eichler34  Respectfully, this is an inaccurate statement. Perhaps you are not aware that most cases are plea bargains in the form of "If you plead guilty we will let you out of jail today. If you plead not guilty, and take this to trial, we will seek the maximum penalty, and you will sit in jail until such time" and in most cases, it is made necessary to waive right to speedy trial which means a person can sit in the jail for many months before their day in court. Some wait years. When someone has a job, a family, pleading guilty is the only option, guilty or not. If they choose to fight the charges, they can kiss their job goodbye, their home, everything. The criminal as little advantage. It is a machine. It is a legal system, not a justice system. There are many innocent people sitting in prisons who took it to trial and lost for whatever reason.. A guilty plea means  a light sentence in most cases. A guilty verdict means the maximum sentence. This is why over 95% of cases are plead and never make it to trial. If all accused were to take their cases to trial, the system would collapse on top of costing tax payers a lot of money. Public defenders do little in these cases. They read some papers as the defendant name is called. They speak without any knowledge of the case, and many times, make statements, read papers inattentively, confuse evidence or testimony, and, without real knowledge, make inaccurate and even harmful presentations. The accused can place calls for days on end to discuss a case and never meet the attorney or get a call back until 20 minutes before the court hearing. Ask anyone that has been involved.
 @Blindman How about the prosecutor gets to spend as much as the defense? A DUI defense can cost $10k plus....the prosecutor does not make that much money or spend that much. Can you imagine working 150 felony cases for $82k/year. That is unreal, no wonder why they stay in private practice when you can make $150/hr +.
Sounds like some good old fashioned office politics.Â