does anyone else think that there should only be public defense lawyers?

Question

I have always thought that the job of a defense lawyer was to ensure you a fair trial, making sure things are presented to the court in a proper manner and that you get to defend yourself fairly. It seems to me that defense lawyers today feel that their job, above everything else, is to get whoever can afford astronomical fees off with any crime this person is accused of commiting. Forget proper court procedure, or that the client may just well be guilty, the ' game ' as they see it is get them OFF. To hell with whether or not they are guilty. You would think that a publicly funded lawyer without the burden of being a star in the courtroom just might let common sense back into the courtroom and justice actually be done.

Answer 1

No. If he were publicly funded, he'd probably be horribly overworked and would be in a hurry to dispatch his cases down the line as rapidly as possible. And he'd probably have his eye on promotion and so want to achieve as big a caseload as possible. I'm sorry that your lawyers are so badly motivated. I belong to the school of thought which perceives the law as justice, but I realise that this notion is now regarded as somewhat outmoded.

Answer 2

More intelligent people gravitate towards jobs that reward their intelligence, education and hard work. If you even out the playing field, then there's no need to work harder, be smarter. Unfortunately money is the the reward in society. There are many fine public defenders who have no desire to go into private practice. Fine. But if someone wants to put in 80 + hour workweeks building up a practice, hiring employees and being responsible for their salaries, mortgaging themselves up to the hilt to get started, why should they be denied the ulcers that go along with the reward?

China is exploding because they realized you don't progress by keeping the playing field level. They have allowed private enterprise in and look at the result? The reward? There are many very, very wealthy Chinese.......and yes, the masses are still masses.

Answer 3

interesting point
a lawyer is a servant of the court ,hes there to speed the case along because he knows the rules ,knows his master,ultimatly is keeping the law
changing the system from one that protects the system to one that protects your client is a radical move ,but enough money can buy anything.
no system is operfect ,law is law simply because it can be enforced ,it is often said that better 10 guilty men get off than one innocent goes to jail ,that works for criminal prosicution where there are rules of evidence but with drug war law ,that deems lies truth it simply dosnt
for egsample a plant is not a drug ,a plant inthe ground is a fixture ,while in the land is part of the land [ie belongs to god]
people are charged with cultivating ie making a plant to grow[what does god do then ,recall cains sacrifice of grain he also didnot make to grow displeased god ]
children having possesion of a drug ,or rather thinkling that they have is really a drug[perhaps its only lawn clippings ,they arnt experts] can yet plead guilty ,indeed are sheparded by lawyers to plead guilt at a rate of 20 out of 21 cases,
the law has gone astray with the drug laws ,drugs are a medical not a legal problem.
but clearly you are upset about other issues ,but we both are yet concerned about justice
jesus said let your yes be yes ,your no be no ,ie thou shalt not take oath [mat 5] ,yet jurors and criminals[deemed criminals ]must swear on the bible a possable mortal sin ,as we will be judged as we judge others.
it is true as you say ,how i thought to repair the system is that according to the magna carta all citisens must have a trial by thier peers who judge the law,the crime and the punishment
the judge protects the court users and the procicuter presents the evidence
the other defending lawyer is there to protect humane rights and procedural propriatry ,if the criminal has confessed the crime could/can be under duress or torture
protecting guilty people should be reason to disbar ,as should be cheating the truth
but lawyers become judges ,become polititions who make the law ,what can we do but save costs abnd plead guilty your honour ,let the punishment not be worse than the crime..
the fees are great ,in oz we have legal aid ,2/300 a go ,the average case load is 20 cases ,is that 6000 for doing a good day of guilty pleadings that raises over 20,000 in court fees
nice job if you can get it
and then run for politics make the laws get a life pension grandiose subsidized pensions
sepperation of church and state ,what of sepperation of lawyers and lawmaking/judging/profiteering ,letting criminals get off and prosicuting its own self medcating citisens into perpetuated drug wars ,let the guilty pay redemtion ,let the innocents of criminal intent alone ,drug war has made criminal seeking simple pain relief ,its criminal but its legal.,its law.

Answer 4

They are like doctors, You have to pay them more than they are worth to get them to do anything. public defense lawyers are affordable but useless. There are probably good lawyers in both groups , but they seem few and far between. And it does seem that justice has been replaced by drama queens/kings.

Answer 5

That's actually some very deep thought, there. The only flaw I see in it is that these tax-paid lawyers would end up being as corrupt as every other civil servant in the US, taking bribes, etc. But, you've got some very poignent thinking there! Keep it up!

Answer 6

No, lawyers should work the laws anyway they can to get their clients acquitted

Answer 7

i think all lawyers should be outlawed and the whole system replaced with neanderthals with clubs.

Answer 8

The whole system is corrupt. Money has corrupted all systems.