[ReignOfError]

There was some howling at the time about Rush getting a "sweetheart deal." I checked with my dad, who's worked in the Georgia Department of Corrections for about 36 years, and he told me these diversion arrangements are pretty standard for first-time, non-violent offenders who aren't at high risk to re-offend.

Then Rush wasted a lot of dough on that fancy attorney.

Rush could have gotten the same deal with a public defender, since as you stated, he got the standard deal for first-time offenders.

"Pretty standard" isn't the same as "standard." There are good, smart, driven public defenders, but there are also lazy ones who will do the least possible work to get their check. It's a crapshoot. A lazy PD would have pushed for a plea bargain, probation with a record, rather than pre-trial intervention with no record.

As in most things, you get what you pay for.

[george wythe]

"Pretty standard" isn't the same as "standard." There are good, smart, driven public defenders, but there are also lazy ones who will do the least possible work to get their check. It's a crapshoot

OK, there is a good chance that a non-lazy public defender could have gotten this "pretty standard" deal for Rush.

I would suggest that Rush wasted a lot of money hiring the most expensive lawyer in Florida.

I have dealt with fancy lawyers, especially Florida fancy lawyers, and I can say that some of the laziest lawyers in Florida are these fancy lawyers who charge exorbitant fees.

Sometimes you get what you overpay for. . . "pretty standard" deals