wallyworld
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Admin closes the thread around 50 pages and starts a new one. Not sure why. But yeah, it was about 3-4 previous threads ago the car was identified
I was reading about Greg Lyn and the High Country murders last night. Vicpol had him under surveillance for 12 months before making an arrest. Such a long time, but obviously necessary to gather enough evidence to have a watertight case.Tomorrow marks a week (? I think?) since Samantha’s phone was found…. Interesting vicpol have been very quiet since…. No doubt preparing their next moves….
Yes, it will be interesting to find out how this has all played out.
Is a Public Defender the same as Legal Aid? If so would PS qualify for Legal Aid?Just to clear up what may be a slight confusion due to cultural gaps between different nation's legal practices..'
The USA, and it's Public Defenders'.. well... if Galbally has been assigned to S, he is now, in all respects, a Public Defender. It's all in the billing process. Every Barrister, in Victoria , and all the other states, there is no special pool, it's every one, be he/she be busy or not, is required to be , at the call of the Bar, a Public Defender.
About the closest thing to a Barrister in the USA would be what is referred to as a Trial Attorney, .. at a guess.
All Barristers, and solicitors ( translation USA 'attorney' ) are officers of the court, and come under the courts direction.
A Barrister has legal standing internationally, an AU barrister can present a case in Dubai, Hongkong, etc., a solicitor does not.,
That's why there is the roster, every judicial season ( the judicial year is divvied up into 'seasons', where by some judges go on the Circuit around Victoria's big regional towns, dispensing judgement, and often a bit of sarcasm and wit as well ) And every Barrister in Victoria is on the roster.
Then, when a case comes up for the Supreme Court, a lottery is run and who's name pops out , is ON. They then don their horsehair wig and they become The Public Defender, versus The Public Prosecutor.
Is this the right way to go about things? that the taxpayer funds all this hoohaa? well. yes, I guess it is, because otherwise only the wealthy, who do not often get arrested for anything would be the only people able to access legal assistance. So it works out fine, and has done for 120 years, and no one has any plans to change it. It serves the community well, and no credence is given to the idea that everyone must pay for their own defence. In an ideal world, that may work, but in reality it does not, hence, this system.
I believe all of the countries that use the Westminster system of judgement ( mostly British commonwealth or ex commonwealth) and that system requires it. I understand in Britain, at the moment, access to legal help is delayed due to underfunding , this is a situation to be avoided in AU and usually, ,in all the states and territories , it is of quite a high standard, all things considered. I groan at coughing up for S, ( although I am in another state I stlll contribute ) but I would not have it any other way.
An unrepresented accused at the bar is a dangerous precedent for everyone, as I see it.
Sorry, EDIT ) .... all of this is on the assumption that Stephenson cannot pay for his own defence.. Only his financial circumstances , not his parents, would be taken into consideration, not many 22 yr olds would have the money for it.
However, any Barrister can and mostly does operate in the privately funded sphere, often for business, where the fee is a tax deduction! ( sneaky, huh ? )