Friday, September 23, 2005

Gilberto Rodriguez-Orejuela to get free lawyer

So reports Jay Weaver. This seems wrong to me. Appointed lawyers are meant for indigent defendants. The man has money. Lots of it. He could spend it at Publix or for a doctor or for clothes. Why not a lawyer?

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm quite sure that he wants to use his money to hire a lawyer who can focus on his case rather than get a court appointed lawyer who cannot devote as much time to his case. And, that's exactly why the government is not allowing him to use his money to hire a lawyer of his choice.

Anonymous said...

Why can the government pick and chose who gets to hire private lawyers?

Anonymous said...

Anybody with a passing knowledge of federal criminal practice, especially in the Southern District, should know that (a) the feds like to seize the assets of alleged drug dealers, thus leaving them with no money to hire a defense lawyer; and (b) lawyers have been prosecuted for money laundering when receiving suspected drug proceeds as compensation for legal services. That's why no private attorney can touch this case.