MURDER CASE MAY PROCEED IN GEORGIA
Jamie Weis
The original lawyers were replaced with salaried public defenders  who do not usually work on capital cases. Those lawyers asked to withdraw  saying they did not have the time  financing or qualifications to properly pursue a death penalty case. Weis argued that he should have had the first legal team  and refused to work with the second.
 The fight continued for the next two years; in that time  Weis' mother  who was expected to testify on his behalf  died.
 Justice Harold D. Melton  writing for a four-justice majority  found that the trial delay was "brought about by Weis and his attorneys  and not the funding issues." Countering arguments that there had been a "systemic breakdown in the public defender system " he said  "There are still attorneys within that system who are available to represent the criminal defendant."
 In dissent  Justice Hugh P. Thompson wrote that the Constitution requires that Weis receive a "vigorous defense " and that Georgia "cannot shirk this responsibility because it is experiencing budgetary constraints."
The original lawyers were replaced with salaried public defenders  who do not usually work on capital cases. Those lawyers asked to withdraw  saying they did not have the time  financing or qualifications to properly pursue a death penalty case. [TGT] argued that [TGT] should have had the first legal team  and refused to work with the second.
 The fight continued for the next two years; in that time  Weis' mother  who was expected to testify on his behalf  died.
 Justice Harold D. Melton  writing for a four-justice majority  found that the trial delay was "brought about by [TGT] and his attorneys  and not the funding issues." Countering arguments that there had been a "systemic breakdown in the public defender system " he said  "There are still attorneys within that system who are available to represent the criminal defendant."
 In dissent  Justice Hugh P. Thompson wrote that the Constitution requires that [TGT] receive a "vigorous defense " and that Georgia "cannot shirk this responsibility because it is experiencing budgetary constraints."