11. On a per-capita basis, the Sunshine State spends twice as much as Georgia on indigent defense. 12. On the other hand, he has signaled that he might sign an indigent defense bill and support other death penalty reforms. 13. One reason for the failures of indigent defense in Texas appears to be a cozy relationship between certain judges and the lawyers they appoint as counsel. 14. So the county sued the state, which provides no funding for its counties for indigent defense, except for death penalty cases. 15. Some lawyers took on hundreds of cases to make a living from indigent defense work. 16. Some say yes, when you look at all the other judicial bills out there such as indigent defense, DNA and life without parole. 17. The influential National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers also is considering litigation against indigent defense programs in Georgia. 18. The governor last year vetoed legislation that would have given county commissioners the power to adopt formal procedures for indigent defense. 19. The State Bar of Georgia has expressed frustration and embarrassment over the system and has called on the Legislature to fund its indigent defense system and establish uniform guidelines. 20. The state maintains that the Legislature has the prerogative to assign responsibility to provide indigent defense to whichever government entity it chooses. |