Very strange. Logistically, however, how does one find a lawyer if his family is not visiting and he doesn’t have instant access to cash? Maybe no access to internet either? Would one gets a public defender and ask him to help find a well-known lawyer? I would not be surprised if people refuse to be appointed public defenders for him; as to well-known lawyers, it is such a dirty case, that they might be unwilling, too.
But - something needs to be done; the longer he has no lawyer, the less credibility to the process.
There may be one more situation: RA is in need of acute psychiatric care, be it for detox or mental issues or both. This is not impossible and might create a lot of problems, including where to keep him. JMO, I have no clue what the reality is, just trying to imagine what might be happening to him, basing on very limited information I have.