25 October 2004

The Difference

The difference between a court appointed attorney and a "paid" attorney:

A preliminary hearing hearing is scheduled for today. I represent one defendant and a top-flight attorney1 has been hired to represent the other defendant. The hearing gets continued (over defense objections) for two weeks because one of the prosecution's subpoenaed witnesses has not bothered to come to court.

I turn around and walk back to the lockup with my client. The paid attorney turns around and walks back out of the courtroom with the family (while his client goes back into lockup).

---------- ---------- ----------
1 Not kidding here. The guy is one of the two or three I'd hire if I got into trouble.

No comments: