You are an intern in a criminal defense attorney
You are an intern in a criminal defense attorney’s office.
You are an intern in a criminal defense attorney’s office. You have been regularly accompanying one of the attorney’s to interview an inmate of the local prison, who is a client.
You notice that the attorney has been requesting continuances in his case for frivolous reasons. This has kept the inmate in jail for a long time. You suspect this has to do with the fact that the attorney hasn’t received full payment for his work.
The inmate discusses the problem with you, asking for your help. Upon being approached, the attorney explains the “Confidence Game,” or the need for putting informal pressure on clients to pay the required legal fees.
Write a two-page analysis report analyzing the dilemma and how you would go about handling the problem. In your report:
- Do you think that the attorney's actions were ethical? Express your opinion with appropriate justifications.
- Do you think the legal code of the ABA was broken? If so, which of the legal codes of the ABA was broken and how?
- Explain, giving reasons, whether you feel that a report should be filed with a higher official.