FACDL fights regional conflict counsel plan: 'we don't think it's funded properly...

Warning that it likely won't work and will provide poor quality representation for indigent criminal defendants, the Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers is mounting a campaign to ask Gov. Charlie Crist to veto the bill creating five criminal conflict and civil regional counsel offices.

SB 1088 would create the five offices--one in the jurisdiction of each district court of appeal--which would handle cases when local public defenders have conflicts. Those cases now typically go to private attorneys. Private attorneys would still be assigned cases when the new