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Crist prevails in fight with defense lawyers
The Florida Supreme Court today reversed a lower court ruling that rejected the Legislature's cost-saving plan to create special public defenders for indigents, rather than use private lawyers.
A circuit court in Tallahassee ruled in December that the Legislature exceeded its authority, as did Gov. Charlie Crist. The governor appealed.
The Supreme Court said "because the (officials) do not supplant or otherwise compete with the public defender, the five regional counsel are not subject to the qualification for public defenders set forth in article V, section 18." (decision here.)
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