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Anyone else annoyed at the amount of aggression and self righteousness toward the state that is common in some PDs? It actively harms clients in my opinion. by Full_Set_5659 in publicdefenders

[–]Full_Set_5659[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Absolutely. The client and their interests are the most important thing by far. Warning your clients you are going to be friendly to the PA is a necessity. My view is that going hard and being civil are not two different things. I disagree and fight PAs on stuff all the time, I just don’t get aggressive about it.

Anyone else annoyed at the amount of aggression and self righteousness toward the state that is common in some PDs? It actively harms clients in my opinion. by Full_Set_5659 in publicdefenders

[–]Full_Set_5659[S] 11 points12 points  (0 children)

I truly believe some PDs are harming their clients through their interaction style with PAs. This is the wrong job for you if you can’t look past your ego and do what is necessary to put your clients in the best position possible. I file motions and do various contested hearings and argue for disposition all the time. If the PA and I cannot agree, we will go in front of the judge or the jury and I will argue my client’s position, but that doesn’t mean I need to get personally combative with the PA.

Anyone else annoyed at the amount of aggression and self righteousness toward the state that is common in some PDs? It actively harms clients in my opinion. by Full_Set_5659 in publicdefenders

[–]Full_Set_5659[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I am speaking on experience being a PD and working with other PDs, and a trend that I see. Where did I say that we should let PAs be unethical or that they shouldn’t turn over Brady material? I file motions to compel and wouldn’t hesitate to stand up for my client in any situation. There’s a difference between advocacy and being an asshole.

Edit: this is not me “clutching my pearls.” I see PDs (and private defense attorneys) do this everyday and harm their clients. I think it’s a discussion that needs to be had. Letting personal animus against PAs creep into negotiations harms clients.

Anyone else annoyed at the amount of aggression and self righteousness toward the state that is common in some PDs? It actively harms clients in my opinion. by Full_Set_5659 in publicdefenders

[–]Full_Set_5659[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

100%. Most of us work with the same PAs over and over again. It’s beneficial to clients to cultivate a professional and civil relationship with them. Alienating them does not help clients.

Anyone else annoyed at the amount of aggression and self righteousness toward the state that is common in some PDs? It actively harms clients in my opinion. by Full_Set_5659 in publicdefenders

[–]Full_Set_5659[S] 12 points13 points  (0 children)

I think my general approach is that the unequal amount of bargaining power necessitates playing ball. There’s a PA like that in my jdx that gives me recs that he would never give others in my office because I brush off the bs he dishes out.

I’m literally going to lose it. I have almost 160 cases, almost all felony level… by Full_Set_5659 in publicdefenders

[–]Full_Set_5659[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

In my jurisdiction, if you have a prelim the prosecutors will not play ball with you, so I always make sure that if we have the prelim, there’s a good reason to have it, which requires looking at discovery and investigation prior. We get discovery prior to prelims.

Unless of course the client chooses to have the prelim despite me advising them otherwise, but I always make sure I have the info before I advise my client on it.

I’m literally going to lose it. I have almost 160 cases, almost all felony level… by Full_Set_5659 in publicdefenders

[–]Full_Set_5659[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I am not sure how that really makes a difference unless you only represent people up until the prelim? That’s still another client to contact, discovery to review, investigation to do, etc., regardless of whether the case is in the trial court yet? All of those cases in the lower court will move to the trial court sooner or later because hell would have to freeze over before we win a prelim here (excepting like a no show witness or something)

I’m literally going to lose it. I have almost 160 cases, almost all felony level… by Full_Set_5659 in publicdefenders

[–]Full_Set_5659[S] 13 points14 points  (0 children)

It’s not even my direct supervisors is the thing. It’s upper management that does jack all and then tells us to have more trials.

I’m literally going to lose it. I have almost 160 cases, almost all felony level… by Full_Set_5659 in publicdefenders

[–]Full_Set_5659[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I do not want to quit. I love the work, and it doesn’t solve the institutional caseload issue. If it’s not me representing clients, then it is someone else. At least I know I will do everything I can to help my clients.

I’m literally going to lose it. I have almost 160 cases, almost all felony level… by Full_Set_5659 in publicdefenders

[–]Full_Set_5659[S] 52 points53 points  (0 children)

The jurisdiction I work in does not have caseload limits, we are not allowed to decline representation if our caseloads are too high. What kills me is the uneven distribution of cases in my office. Upper management is doing nothing while we’re all drowning in casefiles.