machiado
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The public defenders in Arkansas are stretched very thin.
"Parrish noted that data generated by his office showed an average of 537 clients per public defender in the state last year — far above the American Bar Association's recommendation that attorneys handle no more than 200 misdemeanors or 150 felonies per year."
If the state does not increase the budget for the public defenders office and reduce their case load closer to the national average of about 200 per lawyer per year, the following could happen:
"I think in our Arkansas courts, our judges are giving us a heads up and fair warning that a motion for post-conviction relief might be entertained for ineffective assistance of counsel," House said. In other words, that means a court could toss out a conviction if the defendant's attorney didn't do an adequate job."
http://www.arktimes.com/arkansas/arkansas-public-defenders-stretched-thin/Content?oid=3640129
"Parrish noted that data generated by his office showed an average of 537 clients per public defender in the state last year — far above the American Bar Association's recommendation that attorneys handle no more than 200 misdemeanors or 150 felonies per year."
If the state does not increase the budget for the public defenders office and reduce their case load closer to the national average of about 200 per lawyer per year, the following could happen:
"I think in our Arkansas courts, our judges are giving us a heads up and fair warning that a motion for post-conviction relief might be entertained for ineffective assistance of counsel," House said. In other words, that means a court could toss out a conviction if the defendant's attorney didn't do an adequate job."
http://www.arktimes.com/arkansas/arkansas-public-defenders-stretched-thin/Content?oid=3640129