Twitter: Budget Cuts in Book Five: Working Through the Maze 2018

This will be quick as I was not even planning on writing today (other than narrative items).

Checked my e-mail and the State sent me two e-mails. Strange. I followed up.

The State appointed me to two criminal matters.

WHAT?

First of all, I haven’t had a contract to accept new cases for the last month. The last month exactly as my final contract day was March 26. So that is weird enough anyway.

But worst of all, the Judge’s clerk called me yesterday! She called specifically to ask if I could take a case on an emergency basis. I told her that I could not as I was not employed by a law firm, did not have malpractice insurance, and was no longer on contract with the State Public Defender’s Private Defense Initiative. So.... all in all… I communicated quite clearly that I could not accept a new case.

And yet… due to staffing shortages… I was still assigned. Which is… dumb and wrong. I immediately filed a motion to grant withdrawal. Because… (1) with no SPDO contract, I won’t be getting paid; and (2) with no malpractice insurance, my exposure to a very damaging law suit is huge.

What is the worst that can happen? Technically, if SPDO fucked up and did not remove me from their Contract List, the judge can legally require me to stay on the case. That would be very bad. For many reasons. So… fingers crossed that the Judge will let me out of this. Because.... seriously.