When the director of the state agency that defends poor people in death-penalty cases stepped down last week, he said budget cuts were compromising lawyers' ability to help their clients.
The budget "is grossly inadequate to allow us to satisfy our statutory and constitutional mandates," Chris Adams wrote in a letter to the Georgia Public Defender Standards Council.
"Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but that doesn't necessarily make it fact," said Sen. Mitch Seabaugh (R-Sharpsburg) in response. "I understand when people have tough jobs to do and have to find creative ways to do their jobs that pressure gets to them, and apparently the pressure got to him."
Seabaugh is chairing a committee that is rethinking Georgia's system of defending poor people accused of crimes. Members held their first hearing last week. They voiced concerns that Georgia is spending too much money on public defense. Although he will not name names, Seabaugh says some individuals are trying to make defending people in capitol cases look extremely expensive because they oppose the death penalty.
Georgia Capital Defenders received $4.3 million this year, which is less than half the money the agency had requested. A big chunk of the funds are being spent on the defense of Brian Nichols, who is accused of a killing spree at the Fulton County Courthouse.
Even without the record-breaking costs of the Nichols case, however, officials say there would still be a money crunch. State defenders are representing 79 other people in death-penalty cases too.
"We intend to do everything we can to do the job we've been asked to do in term of capital defense representation with the money we have," says Wilson DuBose, who chairs the Georgia Public Defender Standards Council. "We do intend to ask for more money in the future."
But state law restricts the amount of money the agency can request. DuBose says it will ask for an increase of $190,000. He hopes to increase communication with lawmakers so that they will have a better understanding of the work public defenders do. DuBose believes they will listen.
"If we can provide information to substantiate our needs, I believe they will respond," he says.
The budget "is grossly inadequate to allow us to satisfy our statutory and constitutional mandates," Chris Adams wrote in a letter to the Georgia Public Defender Standards Council.
"Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but that doesn't necessarily make it fact," said Sen. Mitch Seabaugh (R-Sharpsburg) in response. "I understand when people have tough jobs to do and have to find creative ways to do their jobs that pressure gets to them, and apparently the pressure got to him."
Seabaugh is chairing a committee that is rethinking Georgia's system of defending poor people accused of crimes. Members held their first hearing last week. They voiced concerns that Georgia is spending too much money on public defense. Although he will not name names, Seabaugh says some individuals are trying to make defending people in capitol cases look extremely expensive because they oppose the death penalty.
Georgia Capital Defenders received $4.3 million this year, which is less than half the money the agency had requested. A big chunk of the funds are being spent on the defense of Brian Nichols, who is accused of a killing spree at the Fulton County Courthouse.
Even without the record-breaking costs of the Nichols case, however, officials say there would still be a money crunch. State defenders are representing 79 other people in death-penalty cases too.
"We intend to do everything we can to do the job we've been asked to do in term of capital defense representation with the money we have," says Wilson DuBose, who chairs the Georgia Public Defender Standards Council. "We do intend to ask for more money in the future."
But state law restricts the amount of money the agency can request. DuBose says it will ask for an increase of $190,000. He hopes to increase communication with lawmakers so that they will have a better understanding of the work public defenders do. DuBose believes they will listen.
"If we can provide information to substantiate our needs, I believe they will respond," he says.
