Clients of public defenders see their lawyers from a different perspective from those in the legal system — and many are dissatisfied with the public defenders’ service.
Angela Rodriguez, 27, Boyertown, said her attorney advocated for her best interests but didn’t spend enough time with her.
The charge of attempted possession of a controlled substance was her first offense, and her attorney recommended she participate in the Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition program. ARD allows first-time offenders to clear their records after serving probation.
“I never had any contact with him except when it was time for the hearing,” she said. “That was the only time I ever really saw him or talked to him.”
James Manning, 29, Reading, said his public defender didn’t listen to him and rushed through his hearing for charges of forgery, theft by deception, receiving stolen property and possessing instruments of crime.
“I got three years probation,” Manning said. “The people that were pressing charges against me didn’t show up but he continued anyway.”
Manning said he only had five minutes of his lawyer’s time before the hearing.
Others were happy with the work of their public defenders, particularly for their ability to minimize the amount of time defendants have to spend in jail.
“I was going against six to 16 (years) and he got it dropped to three months,” Ariel Cruz, 32, Reading, said of his public defender. “Every time, (the public defender has) gotten me only a couple months.”
Cruz said he has been represented by a public defender four times, most recently for aggravated assault.
Angel Ramos, 28, of Reading, said, “They’re real good. Every time I have a public defender, I go home.”
He has been arrested in the past on drug-related charges, and is now facing vandalism and disorderly conduct charges. He is optimistic about his luck with a public defender.
“The public defender I had, she was real good. I trusted her,” he said. “I was surprised about that.”
Contact Jessica Bakeman: 610-371-5038, or jbakeman@readingeagle.com.
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Posted on August 1, 2010