More recently, other private attorneys have also questioned whether clients getting free legal representation are truly poor.
Charles County attorney James F. Farmer said he has been investigating "the rapid rise of public defender cases by those individuals who are not eligible for their services."
In a letter to Mead, congratulating her for firing Forster, Farmer wrote that Forster has been "empire building" and wasting taxpayer money.
Forster said the office has always used federal poverty guidelines to gauge eligibility.
Amid the national recession, public defender offices across the country, including those in California and Minnesota, have had to make deep cuts. But every criminal defendant has a constitutional right to an attorney, and if public defenders aren't available, judges must appoint private attorneys. The cost is paid by local governments, so taxpayer money still gets used.
Jo-Ann Wallace, president of the National Legal Aid and Defender Association, said another benefit of holistic or community-based defense work is that it helps prevent crime by treating its root causes. "It is a cost-effective way of supporting public safety," she said, shared goals of the defense attorneys and the government for whom they work.
