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50 years after landmark ruling, lawyer's help is legal fiction for many accused of crime

Article by: MARK SHERMAN , Associated Press
Updated: March 18, 2013 - 2:54 AM

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djcrazyMar. 18, 13 1:31 AM

So true. Then we have the traffic citations, petty misdemeanors, and city ordinance violations where it is simply way cheaper to admit guilt and pay the fine ( even if you are innocent) because it isn't feasible, nor does it make economic sense to hire a lawyer. Just missing a day or partial day from work to defend yourself and show up for court ends up costing more in lost wages than if one just pays the fine. Where is justice in that?

prowlerMar. 18, 13 2:14 PM

Maybe we could nationalize the legal community similar to what we did with health care. All attorneys would be in a pool. If someone (either side) needed an attorney they would be assigned one by the court, the case had merit. No one could hire their own attorney. Attorneys would be paid a wage equal to a GS-14 in federal government. Might solve a lot of problems. Just sayin'.