Head of Kings County Criminal Bar Association weighs in on diminishing use of 18-b panel attorneys
One of New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s missions during his three-term stint as mayor was to eliminate, or at least reduce, the use of private attorneys to defend indigent criminal defendants where a conflict exists. Early in September, Bloomberg announced that he was putting his plan into action, to the consternation of many bar associations.
18-b panel attorneys are generally used to represent indigent criminal defendants when a conflict occurs, such as the multiple defendants being charged in connection to the same crime. These attorneys are mostly in private practice, but get paid by the city when used in conflict cases. Under Bloomberg’s plan, conflict cases will be referred to the Legal Aid Society, and where the Legal Aid Society represents the primary defendant, borough specific public defender services — instead of private attorneys—will be utilized.