Thursday, May 23 2013 5:13 AM EDT2013-05-23 09:13:58 GMT
Dougherty County Police believe a pair of convenience store smash and grabs may be the work of the same two men. The first smash and grab happened around 2:20 am at the Pit Stop convenience store atMore >>
Dougherty County Police believe a pair of convenience store smash and grabs may be the work of the same two men.More >>
Wednesday, May 22 2013 11:26 PM EDT2013-05-23 03:26:38 GMT
If you're traveling this Memorial Day Weekend, you may notice you're paying about the same at the pump as last year. AAA says the average gas price in Georgia right now is about $3.46 a gallon. That'sMore >>
If you're traveling this Memorial Day Weekend, you may notice you're paying about the same at the pump as last year.More >>
Wednesday, May 22 2013 11:20 PM EDT2013-05-23 03:20:46 GMT
Looks like will have great weather for Memorial Day weekend and DNR Rangers are preparing for big crowds on Lake Blackshear. Rangers expect a large number of boaters all weekend. They say they will strictlyMore >>
Looks like will have great weather for Memorial Day weekend and DNR Rangers are preparing for big crowds on Lake Blackshear.More >>
Wednesday, May 22 2013 11:14 PM EDT2013-05-23 03:14:04 GMT
A Cordele woman and her father are leading an effort to send clothes and other supplies to tornado victims in Moore, Oklahoma. Not only are a lot of people already donating items, but people are chippingMore >>
A Cordele woman and her father are leading an effort to send clothes and other supplies to tornado victims in Moore, Oklahoma.More >>
Wednesday, May 22 2013 8:20 PM EDT2013-05-23 00:20:52 GMT
The Lee County Sheriff's Department is now working with the Albany Crime stoppers. The Lee County Sheriff's Department asked to join the Albany Crime-stoppers program. The Sheriff's Department believesMore >>
The Lee County Sheriff's Department is now working with the Albany Crime stoppers. The Lee County Sheriff's Department asked to join the Albany Crime-stoppers program. The Sheriff's Department believes it will be a helpful tool in closing some cases.
Lee County -- A South Georgia attorney says the State owes him about $20,000 for representing indigent clients. Many criminal cases are on hold now because of a lack of money to pay them.
Ramon Fajardo says he is one of many Georgia lawyers the state hasn't paid. Fajardo has withdrawn from 67 cases in several South Georgia counties as a conflict attorney, because the state has not paid him for more than six months of indigent defense work.
He wonders if he will ever be paid. "I hope so," he laughs. "I hope so. Its got me in a bind."
Fajardo says the state has owed him about $20,000 for several months for work done on a number of cases, including the Stacy Sims murder trial in Tift County.
Fajardo's business is suffering, and most of those cases have been put on hold because of the lack of funding from the Georgia Public Defenders Standard Council. He says they will not even talk to him about the debt.
"They don't return my calls. They don't respond to my correspondence, my letters. And after a while you get tired of calling," Fajardo said.
We tried to talk with that Council's Executive Director Mack Crawford, but he was too busy in meetings. But he has testified in hearings that all the indigent defense money allocated by the legislature has been drained, especially by the defense for Brian Nichols, the man charged with killing several people during a bold escape attempt from an Atlanta courthouse.
Fajardo says he would like his money, but he worries more about his clients. "It's not so much me, it's out clients that we represent. They do not get a fair shake in court if they are not adequately represented."
Fajardo says if state legislators don't provide more money for indigent defense, the state will face numerous costly lawsuits from defendants who say they aren't getting fair treatment in court.
Fajardo says conflict attorneys hired by the state earn $45 an hour for out of court work, and $60 an hour for time in the courtroom.
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