PORTLAND, Maine — The state commission that provides legal services to the poor may run out of money for court-appointed lawyers six weeks before the fiscal year closes at the end of June.
The latest projected budget shortfall for the Maine Commission on Indigent Legal Services may delay payments to the lawyers who represent low-income clients.
The commission requested $1 million in the state’s supplemental budget, an amount that was reduced to $400,000 in the budget proposed by Gov. Paul LePage.
The Legislature’s Appropriations Committee is reviewing the proposed supplemental budget this week.
Ron Schneider, the panel’s chairman, tells The Portland Press Herald accumulating shortfalls, along with a cut from a government streamlining bill, means the commission may have $1.7 million less than it needs for the fiscal year that begins July 1.
Good well at least the dirtbags needing a lawyer will have to go get a job and hire the lawyer that I would have paying for…
It is all covered in the 6th Amendment to the Constition of the United States of America.
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You erased your comment, but I will remind you of it…
itwasntmyidea wrote, in response to coldbarnockerPlease tell me where in the constitution does it say that a lawyer is to be provided free of charge to any person unable to pay for one
They will not get a lawyer when they need one.
Instead, after they are convicted without access to legal representation, they will be approached by high price private lawyers bringing a class action suit, which will cost the State millions to fight, take years, and only really profit the law firms. Moving more of “your” money to the top, in other words…
But conservatives need not think beyond immediate gratification in their rabid hatred and class war.
Are guys like WCBoy both smart and mean enough to realize that the only real good they could possibly be doing is making trouble for the grown ups who will begin to replace their short sighted , no compromise, idiotic, political approach come Nov. ?
I’m glad to hear about this budget cut. Do you suppose the crime rate will decrease? Habitual offenders should have a one time deal with a court appointed attorney, after that they should be on their own! Attorney fees are costly and why should the state be obligated to foot the fees? If they did the crime let them be responsible for the legal fees that come with it or defend themselves by going to court and explaining to the judge why they did it. Let the criminals be held liable for their own wrong doings. Jail time has not been proven to be a deterrent, so maybe it’s time for the judicial system to clamp down on defending the thugs in the State of Maine.
You may want to read the 6th amendment…..
Sure, what other Amendments to the Bill of Rights should we ignore? I’d say the Second, because I’m not a big fan of current interpretations of it, but I don’t think that will go over too well. People seem to like the First Amendment, with the free speech and free press and all. Should we expand it beyond the Bill of Rights? People tend to not like #16 around income tax season. Republicans would probably support overturning #19, seeing as women tend to vote Democratic.
Right on. Scr*w the poor. Why shouldn’t the courts and cops be allowed to ride roughshod over those who can’t pay? Besides, the Constitution is only supposed to be upheld when it’s convenient. And while we’re at it, let’s just forget that whole “presumed innocent” thing. Let’s just go with “guilty until proven otherwise” and save ourselves some cash.
Why do you think that the rate of crime would somehow decrease ?
Let’s just dump the Constitution; it’s too expensive.
Very good Countygirl. What other parts of the Bill of Rights do you think should be tossed out as well?
Let’s play EVERYBODY’S favorite game…. NAME … THAT… CONSTITUTIONAL… AMENDMENT!
Today’s Amendment is part of the Bill of Rights, and has been applied to the states via the 14th Amendment’s Due Process clause! The US Supreme Court has ruled that it applies to all defendants facing either a felony charge or jail time! Ladies and Gentlemen, what Amendment is this?!:
“In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defence.”
A) Court-appointed attorneys are used for many things, such as juvenile defense (I don’t know too many 12-year-olds that can afford a private attorney), parent representation (when kids have been taken), and yes, criminal defense.
B) Court-appointed attorneys only get $50/hour – a heck of a lot less than a plumber, for instance, and they usually have $100k in loans they have to pay back, plus overhead. So, the fees are by no means exorbitant.
Oh, and they rarely get paid for all of the hours they work – all of the hours that are required in order to put on the case. So really, they make significantly less than $50/hour.
Maybe its time for the legal services to look for part time jobs like the rest of us trying to make a living!!
You would never be able to keep up with the case load the lawyers who work hard to uphold the Constitution and represent the poor handle every day.
There are only so many hours in a day, John. Lawyers are notorious for working 60-80 hour weeks (only a portion of which can actually be billed). When would they find the time?
Why does the prosecutors get paid less than half of that amount. They should get paid more than the defense attorneys.
Just how much iniquity will the poor people of Maine tolerate, in the injustices of its Judicial Branch? What recourse do these people have? The Occupy Now Movement was a peaceful attempt. Now what recourse? Law enforcement a branch of the judicial system clearly represents the rich, the well-to-do, the Corporate Greed that are free to use a system that is clearly tilted towards the rich.
” commission requested $1 million in the state’s supplemental budget, an amount that was reduced to $400,000 “… Make due with what you have… just reduce the amount paid!!!
They are already paying out well below market rates to the attorneys who cover these cases. $50/hour sounds high, but divide that in half for what typically gets re-invested for overhead, and you have most of those attorneys walking home with $25/hour. Again, sounds pretty good, then you look at the $100,000+ in student loans most of those guys are walking around with.
You can’t force attorneys to sign up for the court appointed program, and many fewer will if they neither get paid nor get close to a market rate. This is why many states have a formal public defenders office where they have salaried positions. The state has the overhead of running the office, but they don’t have to worry about hourly billing.
Maybe its time for the legal services to look for part time jobs like the rest of us trying to make a living!!
This remark wasn’t intelligent or poignant the first time you posted it here.
A lawyer who lives off of court appointments is lucky to make $55,000. a year. Clearly much less then attorneys in the private sector. So for some commentors here to say “just reduce the amount paid” is to deny that the program is under funded
I’m not even certain that you’ll find any lawyers who make the bulk of their practice court appointments. Are such appointments voluntary in Maine, or are they assigned ?
The war on drugs is responsible for most of the payments to appointed lawyers, without the war on drugs there would be plenty of money because crime would plummet putting licensed lawyers on the unemployment line needing to find honest work.
Stop the war and the cost will be reduced.
The war on drugs is a WELFARE program for courts, cops and corrections; what will it take for people to realize this.
The problem is people get court-appointed attorneys at the same time that they pay $120 a month for cable. That’s messed up.