@YitchokM………
This is weird, like writing to myself (as you have my first name and last initial)………………..
I have discussed this with criminal lawyers who practice here in CT Superior Court and the Federal Court of this District.
CTL’s next older brother happens to be a Criminal Defense Attorney (we are not associated in business). He practiced in NY until 2001 then moved his practice to CT. The difference between the court/legal system in the 2 states is unbelievable.
As I’ve stated before, in CT (with the exception of Probate) we don’t elect judges. We also don’t elect District Attorneys. Therefore no overzealous prosecutor is trying to make a name for him/herself as a tough guy to win election.
We have no overworked ‘Public Defenders’ employed by the government to represent the indigent. Instead there are private agencies who supply the counsel. In many areas all attorneys are expected to take X amount of these Pro Bono defense cases per year. I don’t do criminal work, but many is the time a Judge has ‘ordered’ me to provide preliminary legal advice to the unrepresented (NOT defend them in a trial).
Yesterday I was in motions session for family court issues. Mostly support and visitation contempt motions. The vast majority of people were self represented. Every time a plaintiff brought a motion for contempt against an ex-spouse for non-compliance of a support order, the judge cautioned the defendant that if they were found in contempt they could be put in jail until the account was brought current; and that they should seek legal advice before opening their mouth to speak. If they did not have an attorney and could not secure the services of one immediately, the judge assigned waiting attorneys such as myself to take the parties into a conference room and try to negotiate an agreement while explaining the reality of jail for non-payment of support. Legal Aid only provides counsel to criminal defendants, but here in the largest city in CT, judges try to equalize the playing field in the court system.
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On a different subject. I first met Rabbi Saul Berman when he Rabbi of Young Israel of Brookline, Mass in 1970. I may not agree with him politically or level of frumkeit, but don’t consider him a Pariah. I take offense to Joseph calling a REITS ordained Rabbi, both Mr. and a Conservative Rabbi. Don’t like him, fine, but he didn’t attend JTS and is not a member of the Conservative Movement.