Passing the Hat for Defense Attorneys

I've mentioned before the particularly sad state of indigent criminal representation in Massachusetts that is leading to some defendants being release from jail because they wait more than a month to meet with their attorney. David Feige over at Slate offers more detail on the situation and proposes a more long-term solution to the problem: the establishment of a state public defender system. Maybe it's because I've been one for almost four years, but I find it hard to believe that some states (and some areas of this state) continue to resist PD offices. As Feige points out, we generally work cheap and are actually committed to providing the best representation to our clients. Surely the $30 an hour the private appointed counsel get isn't a sufficient incentive to obstruct the establishment of PD offices. At least I'd hope not.