Texas County Will Allow Indigents to Hire Their Own Attorneys at Taxpayer Expense

Associated Press via Cybercast News Service ^ | December 28, 2014 10:35 AM | Juan A. Lozano

[Olog-hai]

Tommy Vaughn knows his clients may be distrustful when a court appoints him to handle their case. Without enough money to hire their own lawyer, defendants are often suspicious that court-appointed attorneys will provide a poor defense or just try to coerce a quick guilty plea.

“I kind of assume that’s what they’re thinking when I first meet them,” said Vaughn, who has worked as a defense attorney in Texas for 2½ years.

The issue of trust has long been part of a larger discussion about the quality of indigent defense in the U.S. Now, the Central Texas county where Vaughn works will be the first in the country to give these individuals the ability to choose their own attorneys at the government’s expense.

It’s part of a pilot program in Comal County that could determine whether the idea could be adopted in other jurisdictions and provide a new wrinkle to how the Sixth and Fourteenth Amendments are exercised. …

[rstrahan]

Knowing what I know about the prosecutorial system, an independent attorney is much more likely to get a fair trial for a defendant. Both the prosecutor and the indigent defense attorney benefits from an agreed decision, which is the result in over 90% of,the cases. Not necessarily the dependent, however.

[FlingWingFlyer]

Another government waste of taxpayer dollars. What else is new?

[Oliviaforever]

Right to council.

6th Amendment.

[Carl Vehse]

Look for Comal County to go into serious debt or exorbitant taxes, which will drive out taxpayers, leading to the same debt hole.

Who wants to live in a county where lawyers can do whatever it takes to get the guilty off the hook at the taxpayers’ expense?

[ziravan]

Comal County is the home of Schlitterbahn, a huge water park that brings in tons of tax money.

They can probably afford it.

[LucyT]

Texas County Will Allow Indigents to Hire Their Own Attorneys at Taxpayer Expense

[Iron Munro]

Any question as to why lawyers support other lawyers running for office?

[GladesGuru]

Welfare for lawyers!

Soweee! Here, Pig Pig, Pig!

[Sooth2222]

Texas Indigent Defense Commission, which gave Comal County a $200,000 grant for the program, tentatively set to begin Jan. 12.

Based on what my lawyer bills me, that's not going to last too long paying for an entire county.

[JohnBovenmyer]

At County taxpayer expense or are they using state or federal funds for this?

[Oliviaforever]

Any county that does not believe in the US Constitution.

[4Liberty]

A right to use a lawyer doesn’t mean a right to subsidies for that purpose.

Rent seeking ABA parasites.

[FlingWingFlyer]

Then shouldn’t everyone be able to hire any lawyer they want and have the taxpayers pay the lawyer fees?

[tumblindice]

And set forth by the SCOTUS in Gideon v. Wainwright.
The common law guaranteed only a hanging using a new rope.

[cld51860]

Let us count the ways we will be looted, from this day forward...

[tumblindice]

A lot of new lawyers are more knowledgeable about recent law than partners with 30 or 40 years experience who let the paralegals do the research and heavy lifting.

Also, the last experience of the ‘silverbacks’ with legal scholarship may have been snoozing through a continuing education seminar.
Noobs are often ‘hungrier’ as well as less jaded, and more energetic and determined to establish a reputation.
Just sayin’, as young surgeons often are familiar with the latest procedures, etc.

But as you recognize, it isn’t at all unusual for age and treachery to trump youth and enthusiasm.

[vpintheak]

Hmm... Who is behind an idea like this? Lawyer’s? I’m not the sharpest tool in the shed, but I can figure that one out.

[octex]

I thought the Court assigned a defense lawyer to the accused people who didn’t have the money to afford one.

Aren’t those lawyers on a list of those who choose to fulfill their pro bono requirements in that manner?

If this move to use taxpayers’ dollars to let an accused pick his own lawyer is permitted it will drain dollars from the Texas budget. (Illegal alien criminals)

Perry or Gov-elect Abbott should be taking action quickly to negate Comal County’s decision.