They Started to Fight When the Money Got Tight…
Simple Justice: Gideon at A Public Defender pointed out a “letter war” between a public defender named Miriam at a Accident Prone and her commenter, Tony Colleluori from That Lawyer Dude. The exchange was ungracious, but reflects long-standing tension between public defenders and private criminal defense lawyers, younger lawyers and older lawyers, better lawyers and worse lawyers. Gideon and I decided that we both post about it today, reflecting our respective backgrounds since Gid is a public defenders and I’m private.
Miriam, a Minneapolis PD, apparently was the recipient of the all-too-frequent smack that public defenders receive from those they try so desperately help, the defendant. But the defendant’s hand was guided by someone who would have been her brother at arms, someone who would know better than to make a buck at her expense, by demeaning her competency to suggest to the defendant that his private skills are so much better that they are worth a fee. To this lawyer, she writes:
Dear Private Attorney,
I know you think you know more than I do. Hell, maybe you do. I know that you think dispensing legal advice without, oh I don’t know, “reading the file” or “knowing about what the evidence is” is a good idea.
In the future, if you’re not going to do either of those things, please do not tell my already deluded client that he “should be able to get” a misdemeanor disposition from a felony. Or else, take the damn case and get what he “should be able to get” for him. Oh wait, what? You can’t/won’t/don’t have a valid legal license to do so? Then shut the f&*$ up!
Warmest Regards,
Mariam
As the later shows, Miriam is not happy.
Tony, on the other hand, is a private criminal defense lawyer on Long Island. He’s been around…