Palumbo on public defender scandal
Over at DFE, Carla Palumbo has her take on the public defender scandal in Monroe County:
The Public Defender is appointed by the Monroe County Legislature to lead this office of dedicated, overworked and underpaid attorneys. It is not an easy job to manage some 50 or so attorneys (when you need 70 or 100 to do the casework) and insure that those they serve are provided the best defense possible. It is also not an easy job when there is very little extra money given to the Public Defender’s office, less in fact than what is given to their counter parts at the District Attorney’ s Office.
So why is this becoming a political battlefield? Two words, one person — Steve Minark. Minark has made it clear he wants to control the appointment. Somehow I doubt its because he has suddenly developed a devotion to the criminal defendants of this community. Simple math — 50 + jobs for the giving out to who knows who’s brother, sister, son, daughter niece, nephew.. you get the picture.
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Go Carla! I think its great she’s blogging, and exposing what’s really going on.