Public Defense

Not Exactly Our Best Foot Forward

Sometime I?m amazed at the shit that can come out of an attorney?s piehole. In this case the piehole belongs to Bob Slameka, a Public Defender in Michigan for over 40 years. I wanted to feel sorry for this PD in the beginning and by the end of the story, I was just horrified.

You can read a bit about him in the new NPR piece on the lack of resources for indigent defense:

When asked if he really thought his own client should be executed, Slameka said yes, that's what he wrote at the time and that's how he felt.

"That's exactly what I wrote. That's exactly how I felt," he said. "You know something? Because of people's actions, a lot of people don't deserve to live. OK? You take people's lives ? I'm not saying, an eye for an eye ? but because of the nature of your behavior, sometimes maybe you don't deserve to live on this Earth."

When reminded that Lloyd was exonerated and never actually killed anyone, Slameka brushed it off. He said he didn't have DNA evidence at the time, and criminal defense is a very different job now.

If you are so inclined you can look at Slameka?s Michigan Bar Record by clicking here. As far as I'm concerned this guy just needs to stop practicing law and at MINIMUM not be allowed to take PD cases.

Full post as published by Of a Public Defender's Life on August 17, 2009 (boomark / email).