The Wren Collective @wrencollective.bsky.social · 19/03/2025California’s public defense system is in crisis. “Flat-fee” contracts are a big reason why. A new report sheds light on how these agreements privatize indigent defense and lead to worse representation and higher incarceration around the state. 11310
The Wren Collective @wrencollective.bsky.social · 19/03/2025Unlike most states, CA puts public defense solely on its counties. Left on their own, 24 use flat fees exclusively. These contracts pay private, for-profit lawyers a lump sum for defending people who cannot afford an attorney, no matter how much work they do on their cases. 100
The Wren Collective @wrencollective.bsky.social · 19/03/2025Flat fees create a financial and ethical conflict. The less time lawyers spend defending their clients, the more profitable their fees. This practice has been lambasted by everyone from the State Bar to the ABA, many states have banned the practice. 100
