This week’s stats

From public defender blogger Ipse Dixit:

4: number of trials on calendar today
2: number of trials set to call the prosecution’s bluff
2: number of trial dismissals because the prosecution was unable to proceed
1: number of clients with excellent cases for trial who could not afford to take time off of work to hold trial and entered a plea bargain
1: number of trials trailed until Monday
1: number of clients who shared extremely important information with me 7 months after it would have been helpful for me to have received such information
1: number of my clients on informal probation who are back in custody now facing life in prison on strike number 3
60: age of third strike client
1: number of percipient witnesses who contacted me AFTER plea bargain, whose names and information were not included in discovery
4: number of times I had to leave the courtroom instead of getting into a screamin g match with a prosecutor
1: number of clients who broke down crying upon learning that a family member was present in court and would have to learn what she did to try and pay her rent
1: number of clients with mental retardation facing state prison
2: clients in protective custody with a “green light”
1: number of clients awaiting deportation who have given birth to a child while in custody
1: number of complaining witnesses trying to shake my client down for money
35: new cases assigned for the month

4: number of clients who expressed heartfelt thanks for fighting for them