NC - Faith Hedgepeth, 19, UNC student, Chapel Hill, 7 September 2012 * arrest September 2021* #3

[PrairieWind]

Yeah, quite a bit ago, MESO switched from his longstanding public defender(s) to a quite expensive private team -- it all seemed somewhat sudden and unexplained at the time!

That rings a bell now. Who is paying them? That is not actually privileged information. If this attorney is stepping in AS a publicly funded attorney, they do so with those hourly rates, but can request costs. If they are a fully funded defense team, the costs of witnesses ets ic on them. I think these cost requests need some scrutiny.

 

[Prancy]

Just to circle back to something, earlier this year there was some discussion about the change in his legal representation. If you read the motion for withdrawal of public defender, it says that MESO retained outside representation and therefore was not eligible to be represented by the public defender any longer.

I'm pretty sure that means that it was something he actively did, as opposed to the public defender contracting the work out. It would be weird to phrase it as him being ineligible if the firm was working on behalf of the public defender, but then again, IANAL.

Edit: Just to make it easy on everyone, I attached the motion.

Just saw this. Makes sense, though I don’t get giving up free representation.

 

[PrairieWind]

Just saw this. Makes sense, though I don’t get giving up free representation.

Public defenders are very good in most places. But they are also very busy. And the number of attorneys able to handle this comples a case is limited. If a defendant can afford their own attorney, they can hire top criminal defense attorneys that can devote more time and attention to a case. But we are talking a million $. MESO isn't paying. Who is? It shouldnt' be a secret.

 

[PrairieWind]

Just to circle back to something, earlier this year there was some discussion about the change in his legal representation. If you read the motion for withdrawal of public defender, it says that MESO retained outside representation and therefore was not eligible to be represented by the public defender any longer.

I'm pretty sure that means that it was something he actively did, as opposed to the public defender contracting the work out. It would be weird to phrase it as him being ineligible if the firm was working on behalf of the public defender, but then again, IANAL.

Edit: Just to make it easy on everyone, I attached the motion.

So according to this, a public defender was no longer authorized. So why would the state be on the hook for witness fees for the defendant? I'm sure no one with the State is going to speak on this. But, I don't see how these charges are appropriate.

 

[Prancy]

It’s a mystery. I’ll look into it though.

 

[CADwrest]

I wonder if I could just call the firm and ask?

 

[PrairieWind]

I wonder if I could just call the firm and ask?

No. I don' think they are going to answer that question. Where is the order withdrawing the PD office? Where is the order actually authorizing these costs?

 

[CADwrest]

No. I don' think they are going to answer that question. Where is the order withdrawing the PD office? Where is the order actually authorizing these costs?

I think this is what you are asking for:

https://portal-nc.tylertech.cloud/Portal/DocumentViewer/Embedded/7730225B29C9B90340C8195C516DC663A8874DC72A5906705919E10692D8F752B79D814126B662CD5D4AA3079CE80A1E2242084F0183653E793D61FDF5A45779?caseNum=21CR054671-310

 

[Webthrush]

Barnes, Rainsford, and Murphy from a Hillsborough law firm (...not cheap seem to be handling most of the court case for MESO, but I recall 1 or 2 lawyers from another pricey Chapel Hill law firm were also involved -- I had the sense (completely guessing) that they were doing some sort of background work, OR, what I always wondered was if they might be preparing a case AGAINST CHPD for mishandling the case from the get-go (purely speculating) depending how the court case proceeded???

p.s.... have always wondered if there's any chance that Guatemalan friends/family of MESO could somehow have raised the funds for these private lawyers back home (doesn't seem likely?)

 

[PrairieWind]

I think this is what you are asking for:

https://portal-nc.tylertech.cloud/Portal/DocumentViewer/Embedded/7730225B29C9B90340C8195C516DC663A8874DC72A5906705919E10692D8F752B79D814126B662CD5D4AA3079CE80A1E2242084F0183653E793D61FDF5A45779?caseNum=21CR054671-310

No, I have seen that order and it says really nothing. Any supporting documents might have been considered in camera. I'd like to know who is paying these firms.

 

[Webthrush]

No, I have seen that order and it says really nothing. Any supporting documents might have been considered in camera. I'd like to know who is paying these firms.

I asked the same question long ago and someone told me that the payments would be private information and NOT subject to disclosure, but you seem to be saying (if I understand correctly) you believe it would be required to be public information, somewhere?

 

[PrairieWind]

I asked the same question long ago and someone told me that the payments would be private information and NOT subject to disclosure, but you seem to be saying (if I understand correctly) you believe it would be required to be public information, somewhere?

If a third party is paying attorney fees, that information (who is paying the fees) is NOT privileged information.