[Vision2020] The niceties of public defense
mysticchic
mystic_chic1021@yahoo.com
Wed, 7 Jan 2004 22:09:07 -0800 (PST)
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Dear Joan,
After reading your recent post I feel the need to clarify my position concerning Mr. Dickison. During my brief judicial interlude with Mr. Dickison, I found him to be a very competent lawyer. I felt that he breathed the fire into my family members otherwise weak defense. He took the time to explain the process to us and to constantly make us aware of all the problems that came our way. I think it is possible even for an attorney to be "nice" yet still fight for us as if he were Alan Dershowitz.
Thanks
Patty N.
Joan Opyr <auntiestablishment@hotmail.com> wrote:
While testimonials to the courtesy and good manners of our public defenders
are no doubt heartening to the recipients, they're really beside the point.
The question is not whether our public defenders are nice. I've been known
to be nice. Grizzly bears are nice at a distance. Charles Manson is so
nice the prison officials have let him have a pet parrot. Nice might be a
bonus in a public defender, but it isn't a job qualification. Public
defenders are not there to make life easy for law enforcement, nor are they
there to make friends with the prosecutor. They are there to serve the best
interests of their clients. Hang nice. If I were up on a charge, I'd want
a fire-breathing dragon with piles and a pitchfork.
No, I don't want murderers and rapists walking the streets, but neither do I
want to see innocent people banged up in jail. While I don't take the
Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm approach to criminality (I've known too many
unregenerate baddies), a cursory look at the results of the Innocence
Project is more than enough to make me less than sanguine about really
getting justice for the poor and the uneducated. Ideally, you should get
the same level of service from your public defender that you'd get if you
could afford Alan Dershowitz. There should be no such thing as differential
justice for the man with the bloated checkbook.
However, as much as I'd like to reside in a social utopia, I am forced to
live here with everyone else on Planet Reality. We have holes in the ozone
layer, big money in politics, and millionaire murderers who run around
playing golf while innocent men do time on death row. This is an imperfect
world, but it's not too much to expect that everyone on the public dime do
the best job he or she can police, prosecutor, public defender, and judge.
If they do, then we all come out ahead.
If they don't . . . well, here in Latah County, how would we know? I want
more than anecdotal evidence. I know when the roads are properly plowed
because I can get out there and see for myself. I think it's only
reasonable that our county commissioners should ask for detailed reporting
from all of their employees. It's no secret that I have strong and serious
disagreements with Greg Dickison, but I'd say this even if he shared a
practice with Mahatma Gandhi.
Public scrutiny of public expenditures is a good thing. Unless, of course,
you're the ex-mayor of Boise.
Joan Opyr/Auntie Establishment
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<DIV>
<DIV><STRONG>Dear Joan,</STRONG></DIV>
<DIV><STRONG>After reading your recent post I feel the need to clarify my position concerning Mr. Dickison. During my brief judicial interlude with Mr. Dickison, I found him to be a very competent lawyer. I felt that he breathed the fire into my family members otherwise weak defense. He took the time to explain the process to us and to constantly make us aware of all the problems that came our way. I think it is possible even for an attorney to be "nice" yet still fight for us as if he were Alan Dershowitz.</STRONG></DIV>
<DIV><STRONG>Thanks</STRONG></DIV>
<DIV><STRONG>Patty N.</STRONG><BR><BR><B><I>Joan Opyr <auntiestablishment@hotmail.com></I></B> wrote:</DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE class=replbq style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #1010ff 2px solid">While testimonials to the courtesy and good manners of our public defenders <BR>are no doubt heartening to the recipients, they're really beside the point. <BR>The question is not whether our public defenders are nice. I've been known <BR>to be nice. Grizzly bears are nice at a distance. Charles Manson is so <BR>nice the prison officials have let him have a pet parrot. Nice might be a <BR>bonus in a public defender, but it isn't a job qualification. Public <BR>defenders are not there to make life easy for law enforcement, nor are they <BR>there to make friends with the prosecutor. They are there to serve the best <BR>interests of their clients. Hang nice. If I were up on a charge, I'd want <BR>a fire-breathing dragon with piles and a pitchfork.<BR><BR>No, I don't want murderers and rapists walking the streets, but neither do I <BR>want to see innocent people banged up in jail!
. While I
don't take the <BR>Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm approach to criminality (I've known too many <BR>unregenerate baddies), a cursory look at the results of the Innocence <BR>Project is more than enough to make me less than sanguine about really <BR>getting justice for the poor and the uneducated. Ideally, you should get <BR>the same level of service from your public defender that you'd get if you <BR>could afford Alan Dershowitz. There should be no such thing as differential <BR>justice for the man with the bloated checkbook.<BR><BR>However, as much as I'd like to reside in a social utopia, I am forced to <BR>live here with everyone else on Planet Reality. We have holes in the ozone <BR>layer, big money in politics, and millionaire murderers who run around <BR>playing golf while innocent men do time on death row. This is an imperfect <BR>world, but it's not too much to expect that everyone on the public dime do <BR>the best job he or she can police, prosecutor, public defender!
, and
judge. <BR>If they do, then we all come out ahead.<BR><BR>If they don't . . . well, here in Latah County, how would we know? I want <BR>more than anecdotal evidence. I know when the roads are properly plowed <BR>because I can get out there and see for myself. I think it's only <BR>reasonable that our county commissioners should ask for detailed reporting <BR>from all of their employees. It's no secret that I have strong and serious <BR>disagreements with Greg Dickison, but I'd say this even if he shared a <BR>practice with Mahatma Gandhi.<BR><BR>Public scrutiny of public expenditures is a good thing. Unless, of course, <BR>you're the ex-mayor of Boise.<BR><BR>Joan Opyr/Auntie Establishment<BR><BR>_________________________________________________________________<BR>Enjoy a special introductory offer for dial-up Internet access limited <BR>time only! http://join.msn.com/?page=dept/dialup<BR><BR>_____________________________________________________<BR>List services made avai!
lable by
First Step Internet, <BR>serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994. <BR>http://www.fsr.net <BR>mailto:Vision2020@moscow.com<BR>ŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻ</BLOCKQUOTE></DIV><p><hr SIZE=1>
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