how does a family know if a particular publice defender is experienced and has a good, successful record?
Hi Jacustomer,I know of nowhere that keeps that data for public defenders, and the records wouldn't be meaningful anyhow. Unlike private attorneys, public defenders cannot pick and choose their clients or, for that matter, their clients' cases. And they do about 90% of all criminal defense work. So they get cases other lawyers would not touch with a ten foot pole of the sort that would lower an attorney's stats. They are, however, because of the volume that they do, extremely experienced lawyers able to size up the worth and weight of a case very quickly. And they all know how to try a case. While there are good and bad attorneys in every law office, some public defenders are excellent lawyers.So if you already have a public defender who seems to be on top of her case and is willling and eager to fight the case if that's what her client wants, I see no reason to switch at this time.