See Hawaii Revised Statutes 571-2 (b) The court shall determine the amount of reasonable compensation paid to appointed counsel and guardian ad litem, based on the following rates: (1) $90 an hour for in-court services provided by an attorney licensed to practice law in the State; and
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Attorneys play key roles in helping individuals seek justice through the courts. In order to maintain high standards of professionalism, the Judiciary provides rules for those who practice law in Hawaii.
Rule 1 of the Rules of the Supreme Court of Hawaii and Hawaii Board of Bar Examiners Rules of Procedure govern admission to practice law in Hawaii. The Bar Application and Instructions are available online.
As the others have stated, public defenders are paid by the state and local counties, and it is rare to find one who looks to sweep a case under the rug. In addition to the reasons the others have given, I will add three more.
I would never criticize the individual attorneys who populate Public Defender offices around our great state. Most of them are talented attorneys who work hard. My criticism is of the system itself. Public Defenders are only human. They have lives outside of work. Pile on 100-300...
I think Mr. Dorer has provided a very good answer. I do many court appointed cases myself. The pay is not significant, although it helps to pay some bills. However, it always me to assist those that really need it and allows people to see my skills as an attorney. Unfortunately, many people are apprehensive about court appointed counsel.
Yes, they are paid by the State or County. This does not mean that they team up with the Judge and prosecutor to railroad their clients. Just like in any profession, there are good public defenders and bad ones.
Often times public defenders' offices, salaries, and funds for conflict or contract attorneys come from state and local funds. The motivation to do a good job is far more than monetary, though. People who do public defender work could usually make a lot more money in private practice...
A Public Defender is a lawyer appointed by the court to represent indigent persons charged with criminal offenses and facing involuntary commitment proceedings.
Yes. All Public Defenders are licensed attorneys who have completed law school and are sworn members of the Hawaiʻi State Bar. Many Public Defenders have been recognized as some of the best criminal defense attorneys in the State of Hawaiʻi.
The Office of the Public Defender maintains local offices throughout the State of Hawaiʻi. To locate the Office nearest to you, click on Branches located at the top of the home page.
A Deputy Public Defender will contact you to complete the application process.
Deputy Public Defender are chosen from a field of attorneys who apply. Only the best candidates are accepted to join the Public Defender team. Also, unlike most other lawyers, Public Defender lawyers work only in the criminal law field. Thus, Deputy Public Defenders are in court and advocating for clients more than most attorneys.
Even though public defender lawyers are paid by the government, their duty of loyalty is with each individual client. Deputy Public Defenders take an ethical pledge to assert the constitutional rights of all clients and to work zealously to defend every client.
Deputy Public Defenders work as a team on cases. Most clients have the benefit of many attorneys assisting with their defense. Deputy Public Defenders have access to legal research, investigators and a support staff to assist them in the preparation of their cases.
If you’ve been arrested and can’t afford to hire a private criminal defense attorney, the court will assign an attorney to handle your case. These lawyers work in the public defender’s office and are mandated to defend anyone who has been charged with a crime and is not financially able to employ counsel.
Before agreeing to work with a public defender, a defendant should be aware of the following differences between a private attorney and one appointed by the court:
Unless you simply cannot afford to hire a lawyer, working with a private criminal defense lawyer is always better than accepting a court-appointed attorney.
The Commission on Judicial Conduct was established on June 1, 1979, by the Supreme Court of Hawai`i to investigate allegations of judicial misconduct and disability, and has jurisdiction over all justices and judges of the State of Hawai`i.
Disability involves the physical or mental inability to perform judicial duties and functions. Complaints about state judges should be sent in writing to the Commission and include case numbers and the names of corroborating witnesses when available, as well as supportive material such as transcripts, copies of motions, etc.