Judge Fines Lawyer Who Wouldn’t Represent Defendant That Couldn’t Pay

A private lawyer got caught in the middle of a Mississippi judge’s quarrel with a county public defender’s office, and was fined $1,300 for refusing to represent a defendant who couldn’t pay. The judge refused to appoint public defenders in 55 cases, but the county wouldn’t pay the lawyers he assigned. Justice James Maxwell, writing for the state’s Supreme Court, said an attorney can’t just walk away from representing a client.”He could not simply ignore the judge’s order because he believed the judge was wrong,” wrote Maxwell.