Jim Bromgard

[wheezer]

Exonerated rapist sues Yellowstone County

A trial date has been set for March 2009 for a Billings man who sued Yellowstone County for violating his constitutional rights in a child rape case to which he was exonerated.

Jim Bromgard was convicted in 1987 of raping an 8-year-old girl in Billings, and a judge sentenced him to 40 years in prison.

He was exonerated and released from prison in 2002 after DNA tests showed he didn't commit the crime.

Bromgard, 39, claims the county violated his rights by failing to properly hire and supervise lawyers appointed to represent indigent defendants.

http://www.montanasnewsstation.com/Global/story.asp?S=8011299&nav=menu227_7

[packy]

What a shame. We're all supposed to have a right to due process and that means an effective counsel.

[wheezer]

What a shame. We're all supposed to have a right to due process and that means an effective counsel.

I feel bad for the states. I think they are in a tough position on this. The public could IMO truly care less if someone accused of these types of crimes gets a good attorney or not. So the state is torn between making sure the lawyer representing the defendant is qualified enough to handle this type of case and keeping the public at bay over the money being spent on this defendant.

What the public needs to understand is that you want the attorney to be very qualified. The last thing we as the public would want is for a guilty person to be set free over an inept lawyer.

[TigressPen]

I feel bad for the states. I think they are in a tough position on this. The public could IMO truly care less if someone accused of these types of crimes gets a good attorney or not. So the state is torn between making sure the lawyer representing the defendant is qualified enough to handle this type of case and keeping the public at bay over the money being spent on this defendant.

What the public needs to understand is that you want the attorney to be very qualified. The last thing we as the public would want is for a guilty person to be set free over an inept lawyer.



The problem in most counties with court appointed attorneys is that they're overworked and underpaid with little dollars alloted to accurately defend the defendants. We need more lawyers to volunteer for these cases, not everyone has hundred thousands of dollars to spend.

[wheezer]

The problem in most counties with court appointed attorneys is that they're overworked and underpaid with little dollars alloted to accurately defend the defendants. We need more lawyers to volunteer for these cases, not everyone has hundred thousands of dollars to spend.

Another problem is that the attorney's who normally work at the public defenders office are not the best of the lot(there are always exceptions). Those who were top in their field are in private practice or with one of the big named firms. So the quality of the representation is already at a minimum in most cases. Add to that what you stated about being overworked and underpaid and it isn't shocking that these types of things happen.