12 August 2008

CLTV 36: Realities of Indigent Defense in Virginia

Answering a letter to the best of my recollection.

At CLTV here.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

As for the indigent defense certification, I have recently gone through it for felonies and misdemeanors (but not JDRDC). I don't doubt that this skirts the intent of the requirement, but standard practice in my office is to interpret the "felony case to completion" language as inclusive of felony charges reduced to misdemeanors and resolved at the preliminary hearing date. But that intent is a little unrealistic: the only way to really learn this stuff is by doing it and asking questions along the way - and 4 cases (the felony requirement) would not necessarily teach a whole lot.