Criminal Charges / Crimes

You asked if your sister should get a private lawyer instead of the public defender assigned to her. I can’t speak to the specifics of her case or about the particular lawyer assigned to her. Just like with a private lawyer, some public defenders are very good and others have so many cases that they may not pay proper attention to each particular case. Perhaps your sister can ask to have a meeting with the public defender in his office where she can sit down with him and talk to him about what actions he is taking on her case – if she is comfortable with him/her, she may want to keep him. If not, and if she can get the money to do so, she may want to interview private defense attorneys to see if she’d want to hire a criminal defense attorney who has experience with domestic violence. Another option is to contact some agencies that specifically deal with battered women who are charged with crimes to see if they can make any recommendations for attorneys in [STATE] who may help her. Here are a couple:

National Clearinghouse for the Defense of Battered Women
990 Spring Garden Street, Suite 703
Philadelphia, PA 19123
Phone: (215) 763-1144
Phone: 800 903-0111 ext. 3
Web: http://www.ncdbw.org/
The National Clearinghouse is a resource and advocacy center for battered women charged with crimes related to their battering. Through its work, the organization aims to increase justice for — and prevent further victimization of — arrested, convicted, or incarcerated battered women. Staff provide customized technical assistance to battered women charged with crimes and to members of their defense teams (defense attorneys, advocates, expert witnesses and others). Please contact them via telephone; they accept collect calls from incarcerated battered women.

Battered Women’s Justice Project (Part of the Domestic Violence Resource Network)
504 Fairview Ave. N., Suite 208
St. Paul, MN 55104
Phone: (612) 824-8768
Toll-free: 800-903-0111 ext 1
TTY: (612) 824-8768
Web: http://www.bwjp.org/
Email: crimjustbwjp.org
Assists victims, legal advocates, law enforcement personnel, corrections agents, judges, attorneys, domestic violence organizations, government agencies, students and concerned citizens. The project provides training, technical assistance, and other resources (but not the fighting of individual legal cases) through a partnership with three nationally-recognized organizations, in the areas of criminal justice, civil justice, and battered women who are charged with crimes. If you are a victim, they may be able to help you plan for your safety and clarify your options regarding legal action as you take steps to deal with a violent relationship.