Title: Public defenders and the American justice system /
Authors: Wice, Paul B.
Publisher: Praeger,
Year: 2005
Subjects: Public defenders United States; Legal assistance to the poor United States.; Criminal justice, Administration of United States
Abstract: "Through a profile of a reform-minded public defender's office in Newark, NJ, one of the nation's most crime-ridden smaller cities, Wice examines the public defender system and shows how even the smallest reforms, especially those that address quality of life and work for public defenders, can make a big difference. Comparing the smaller defender's office to larger ones in such cities as New York and Chicago, which have not instituted significant or wide-scale reforms, the author illustrates the successes that can be found when change is thoroughly implemented. Flaws remain, but with improved services and work environments, this important component of the overburdened criminal justice system can function more effectively, creating a system that benefits lawyers, defendants, and the community alike."--BOOK JACKET.
Contents: The right to counsel for indigent defendants : a national perspective -- Public defender agencies : the traditional approach -- The Essex County regional defender office : the evolution and organization of a reform defender system -- The staff attorneys : background and career patterns -- Procedural issues : processing and litigating cases -- The work environment and courthouse relationships -- Personal and professional issues -- Lessons learned : an agenda for public defender reform.