For me the first problem I ran into was how to find a lawyer.In the south they advertise heavily but up north they don't.

Next I had no idea where the process was going next. How long was it going to take to get to sentencing.... What were the possible steps in between.

The public defender told me I could get a reduction if I sought out therapy which I did but once probation started they didn't recognize anyone but their own people. (I made too much to keep a public defender so I had to find my own which costs me $75,000 but he kept me out of jail.)

Now I'm in my 7th year of a 5 year maximum (or until further order of the court) Since I'm in another state now I have no idea what to do next. My current PO promised he'd have more information Oct 7 when I meet him next but I'm not hopeful....

Also, the state police called the media so they could plaster me all over the print & airwaves. I wasn't expecting that. Nothing from the sentencing made the news though. I don't know why?

I was also held in jail over night and arraigned the next morning.As the jail took my wallet and money I couldn't call anyone and had to walk 4 miles back to the jail to retrieve my property...

I see a need for a list of community resources for spouses/families who have suddenly lost their sole or primary breadwinner - folks who have always been able to pay their bills but who are now facing financial catastrophe.

Perhaps there could be a volunteer-staffed hotline or a counselor-led "panic button" for the family member who has a sudden anxiety moment and who can't wait for an appointment two weeks down the road.

And maybe there could be some education or sensitivity training for the local schools to prevent or deflect any ostracism that may be directed at the children of the offender (alleged or otherwise).

there is a book Juvenile court A Judge's Guide for Young Adults and their Parents by Leora Krygier (this "guide" does not mention JSO's) but might be helpful writing an in-service-training manual for Advocates helping families through the sort of messed up system we all face/ed after the knock on the door... Just a thought

The solution is already in place, but nobody thinks to use it.

The Public Defender's office should be assigned immediately to everyone from the first moment of their arrest. In my opinion the PD should be in attendance during any initial interviews and interrogations. If you have your own lawyer the PD can call them for you, or otherwise arrange to defend your immediate rights. The PD should know what is going to happen next, and explain the entire process.

The Prosecutor is involved from the very beginning. Why shouldn't the defense be involved then, too?

Sam....in the ideal world this is the way it should be. However...it is not. They do their best at least in my old county.

After spending 14years in the court i can tell you that the PD does not have the time. They are overworked and underpaid. Yes...they do a good job but...they could do better if their case load was less.

When it comes to private paid attorneys.....not much better. I found that out the hard way. After recommending a high priced lawyer to my SIL's parents...

I should have known better. Save your 25 thousand dollars. I feel bad. I encouraged them to get a private attorney. Maybe he would have got more years maybe not.

It is a crap shoot. I could do better at the roulette in Vegas!

If "they" want the system to be fair, then the PD's office should be funded on a par with the Prosecutor's office. The grass-roots movement should be lobbying the legislature for equanimity,

Sam,

You made a good point about involving the PD much earlier in the investigation and "If "they" want the system to be fair, then the PD's office should be funded on a par with the Prosecutor's office."

They have no intention of making the entire mechanism "fair" or putting the defendant on equal footing as the prosecution. From the very beginning of an investigation-----from interviewing the witnesses to the arrest to the trial or plea-----there is almost a conspiracy by certain entities in government to garner a conviction.

The DA's victim witness person coaches witnesses, the investigator puts words in their mouths, the detectives are truly nothing more than "gangsters with badges" when they coerce testimony against the accused, hide evidence, or just out and out perjure themselves. The crux of the matter is there is an entire effort by all the state agencies to gang up on the defendant and do whatever it takes for a conviction.

Justice only happens in feel good movies and comic books. There is rarely justice in America and it is because in many instances, unless he has millions of dollars, the deck is stacked against the accused.

Everyone who works in the system knows this. The only people who cannot understand the complete unfairness of the system are the enablers and the detective boot lickers who will defend them against all reason.

The entire system is a complete disgrace to America or any country claiming to be a democracy, but it is all we have right now.

Things will never change until enough people get a taste of the injustice and begin demanding equal laws.

rewdiazepam

Sorry to Westy for getting off the topic.

In my experience the thing that scares people the most is the unknown. They have no idea what is about to happen next. They are not attorneys and they often have no one to turn to.

Nobody is there to really explain it to them in words they really understand. The PD often does not have time, and if the PD does not take the time, who will?

So the accused and his family are left in the dark, and, of course, they fear the worst. This is why many of them tell me that they are "scared to death."

Anything that can be done to give them an idea of the course of an investigation from the arraignment to the trial or plea would be of great benefit.

BTW, Westy and everyone involved in this effort-----you are involved in a very honorable and noble cause. I hope this is a success.

rewdiazeapm

It's my belief that LE wants to keep you in the dark It's their trump card. I've not heard one example where LE helped anyone in their incarceration. That's why I think that West's attempt to create a support structure is so important.

The only help I got was LE brought in a desk chair because I would not sit on the only chair available in the holding cell... a commode. They took the only food I had, an energy bar. The officer who delivered me to the local jail seemed to have compassion telling me that I would get the help I needed but that was about it. Everyone else just went through the motions like it was every other day. The lawyer I ended up hiring saw it only as a money making opportunity charging even for broken pencils. He was not interested in trying to prove my innocence but only to minimize the charges.

Sorry that this probably does nothing to contribute to West's effort.

October there is the nationwide 211 program http://www.211.org/ It's not perfect but it's a start for those suddenly need plugged into available resources in their area

Ot but not entirely ....does anyone know about "legal service" insurance? Have had any experience or could suggest a good plan? Just something I've done some survey work about and it got me curious