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They’re not paying you and they should consider themselves lucky and grateful to have had you appointed to represent them. Make them see that and don’t buy into their BS.
All these responses are tone deaf. Public defenders pursue a calling and most of them don’t ascribe to the chest thumping reflected in the comments. Your job as a PD is to make sure that your clients don’t get steamrolled by the system. Most of these folks don’t trust the system and they don’t trust you. The hard part is changing that and establishing a level of trust. This usually starts small—like, for example showing up when you say you will and being very clear about what’s to happen in the future. Communication is key and hopefully over time they will see that you are solid and that you actually have their best interest in mind. The truly unhinged ones; there’s nothing you can do about it. Just do the best job you can.
Rising Star
Set boundaries, try to remember it’s probably their own issues and not about you, and just do your best
I’d look at them with a smile and remind them you are the best defense money can’t buy
Remember that it’s their case, not yours, and any difficulty is not about you. It’s a defense mechanism for dealing with a hard life. You should try to understand their lives and minds as best you can so you can advocate TO them as much as you advocate FOR them. Try to show them that you’re a safe person, and advocate to them in terms and modes they’re more likely to be able to internalize.
I found it was helpful to be clear (sometimes just for myself) what I could and could not do as their PD. This was particularly true when all the ancillary problems of poverty or unstable living situations impeded my ability to help them with the particular legal challenge I was there to help with. The problem is that these issues are often deeply intertwined, so keeping them distinct is sometimes difficult/arbitrary. And to many, you’re as much a part of the system making their life hard as the ADA is, though I know we would disagree. I guess it’s just knowing limits and not expecting gratitude.
Agree with P1 above that most of these answers are not it — clearly didn’t come from PDs. I’ve been doing this work for 12 years now. I recommend remembering that the criminal justice system IS inherently racist and unjust and fucked up, and they have many good reasons to not trust you even if you’re a good PD. Also, most indigent criminal defendants are dealing with mental health problems or substance abuse problems, and those can lead to them being overly anxious/demanding, rude, etc. Yes, some clients are also just assholes — and that’s where venting with your PD friends comes in — but even with them, remind yourself that you aren’t just their personal attorney, but you are also fighting for the Constitution, fighting against corrupt cops or heartless ambitious prosecutors, fighting for the client’s brokenhearted family who rarely sees anyone with empathy for what they’re going through, etc etc. And at the end of the day, you get to go home and most of them don’t (or soon won’t be able to). That is general philosophical advice. If you have some specific issues or behavior you’re concerned about, lmk in a response or even a DM and I’ll be happy to share any strategies I might have.