MN: "this job is stressful because, if you care, you can't help but be emotional"

Good "Minnesota Profile" of a p.d. in The Cities, from the Minneapolis Star-Tribune:

Michael Holland: The defense never rests - With the courts in financial crisis, public defender Michael Holland barely has time to take a breath between cases

"There's got to be a breaking point," Holland says. "The amount of poor people is growing, especially in an economy like this. My clients get the best out of me, but will I have to shortchange them and do a half-job on all my cases instead of a full job on less cases? Something's got to give..."

Bonus link goes to Mirror of Justice, The Human Dignity of the Accused and the Vocation of the Public Defender

MN: "it should be about justice and not about the cost"

The beleagured underpaid watchdog of justice trope again, this time from MinnPost.com:

A stark contrast in courts: Upstairs, the pricey lawyer-filled Coleman-Franken trial; downstairs, an overworked public defender

Michael Kunkel's work was done. For the moment... His hearing before the Minnesota Court of Appeals, including rapid-fire, rugged questioning from the three justices, was over. But his day was not. Kunkel, 29, was gathering his belongings for a parole hearing in Anoka County 25 miles (away). He has another 30 or so cases on his desk back at the State Public Defender's Office...

Just so happens Kunkel's venue today was Courtroom 200 of the Minnesota Judicial Center. It's directly beneath Courtroom 300, the daily venue for the Norm Coleman - Al Franken recount trial. Same building, different stage. Same justice system, different approach. Same profession, different league... ..It may seem a stretch to juxtapose the Franken - Coleman trial, its high-powered lawyers and its absentee ballots with Kunkel and his indigent sex offender client who needs a public defender to assist him...

In this case it is a stretch. Perhaps my days in the two-tier system have drained my outrage, but I'm not offended that in a close U.S. Senate race with national implications, the suits have taken over one courtroom. Besides, it provides an opportunity for curious reporters to take the elevator down to the depths where we work, and to bring back stories of the routine inequities that they find.

MN: " 'How can you defend those people?' We are 'those people.' "

From In The Fray:

A day in the life of a public defender - Advocating for the indigent in rural Minnesota

Judge Richard Posner... once wrote, “[a] bare-bones system for the defense of indigent criminal defendants may be optimal.” How pleased he would have been watching me practice on that day...

MN: "my student loans are 40 percent of my monthly income"

From Minnesota Public Radio:

Public defenders moonlight to pay off school debt

The Minnesota Public Defender's office will ask the Legislature for about $20 million for the next biennium. Earlier this year, the office had to lay off attorneys... The office wants to hire back attorneys and try to raise salaries. For some Minnesota public defenders, getting a raise might allow them to stop moonlighting...

MN: I heard the news today, oh boy

From Minnesota Public Radio:

A day in the life of a Minnesota public defender

The wheels of justice may move slowly, but some of the cogs, like public defender Lisa Kloster, are spinning at a dizzying pace...

She ain't no cog. Listen to the MP3 / podcast here.

MN: chopping block

So it begins. From Minnesota Lawyer Blog:

Public defenders cut 53 more jobs

The State Board of Public Defense voted on June 5 to cut the public defender work force by 15 percent across the state to meet its $3.8 million budget deficit... The board’s action means the loss of 69 full time equivalent public defenders at the District Court level, out of a total of 441 positions, and three appellate lawyers. The board also decided to cut public defender services by no longer representing parents in abuse and termination of parental rights cases...

See also the Red Star Tribune: State to pare the ranks of public defenders by 23 - A combination of a deficit and a cut in aid prompted the state to slash the 2009 public defender budget

MN: the layoffs are coming

From In-Forum News: Clay lawyer cuts coming

Confronted with a potential $4.7 million deficit, the Minnesota Board of Public Defense will turn to layoffs to help balance its budget.

As a result, dozens of public defenders will lose their jobs, or leave voluntarily by opting for incentive packages. Those who remain will see their caseloads grow...

Incidentally, one proposal is to bury an army of 8000 clay lawyers to guard Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R) in the afterlife.

Deputy public defender monkey

A travelling sock monkey on Minnesota's p. d. crisis:

Monkey and I both agreed that the state needed to add more public defenders. Monkey also felt that there should be an attorneys lounge with bananas...

MN: penny wise, pound foolish

From Minnesota Lawyer Blog:

Public defenders face losing 61 more lawyers

The public defenders in Minnesota have been hit hard by the Legislature which cut their budget by $1.5 million dollars for FY 2009. It looks as if a serious number of attorneys will lose their jobs...

See also KSTP:

15 percent of state's public defenders may be laid off

and the Star-Tribune:

Public defenders are put on list of proposed budget cuts - Financial woes and a tough economy could mean layoffs for more than 60; all 87 counties would be affected

And light a candle for our friend Accident Prone.