Public Defenders: Pragmatic and Political Motivations to Represent the Indigent (Criminal Justice (Lfb Scholarly Publishing Llc).)

Annotation Weiss finds that public defenders motivations may be pragmatic and include the opportunity for trials or the lifestyle advantages that come with government legal work. Others may be political -- the desire to give meaning to constitutional protections, the altruistic urge to help others, or the chance to confront police, prosecutors and judges who many public defenders believe treat their clients unfairly. These sentiments arise frequently and their expression suggests that they comprise a mindset unique to public defenders. While critics claim that public defenders lack the dedication to represent poor clients effectively, Weiss concludes that many are passionate about their work, seeing it as a way to challenge the mistreatment they believe their clients suffer Contents......Page 6 1. A Study of Public Defender Motivations......Page 10 2. Defense Attorneys in the Criminal Courts......Page 20 3. Challenges of Public Defense......Page 32 4. A Qualitative, Semi-Structured Interview Study......Page 44 5. Pragmatic Motivations......Page 60 6. Legal and Constitutional Motivations......Page 102 7. Altruistic Motivations......Page 126 8. Anti-Establishment Motivations: Critical Motivations, Part I......Page 154 9. Anti-Police Motivations: Critical Motivations, Part II......Page 172 10. Anti-Prosecutor Motivations: Critical Motivations, Part III......Page 206 11. Anti-Judge and Anti-Corrections Motivations: Critical Motivations, Part IV......Page 254 12. Public Defender Motivations: Discussion and Implications......Page 280 References......Page 296 Appendix: Interview Guide......Page 304 A......Page 306 B......Page 307 E......Page 308 L......Page 309 P......Page 310 Q......Page 311 X......Page 312 A Study Of Public Defender Motivations -- Defense Attorneys In The Criminal Courts -- Challenges Of Public Defense -- A Qualitative, Semi-structured Interview Study -- Pragmatic Motivations -- Legal And Constitutional Motivations -- Altruistic Motivations -- Anti-establishment Motivations -- Anti-police Motivations -- Anti-prosecutor Motivations -- Anti-judge And Anti-corrections Motivations -- Public Defender Motivations. Michael Scott Weiss. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 287-293) And Index. The indigent accused's right to counsel in criminal prosecutions has long been an important part of the American legal tradition.