Man jailed for over a year with no lawyer
`A man was jailed for more than a year without ever seeing a lawyer as he waited for a repeatedly postponed court hearing, gaining release only after a cellmate told an attorney about the case.
Walter Mann Sr., 69, was released Dec. 16 after a year and three months – more than twice the time he would have served if he had been convicted in his contempt-of-court case. [..]
His release came after cellmate Jim Brooks, 64, heard from Mann that he had never seen a lawyer.
“I said, ‘Man, why don’t you call your people?’ He said, ‘Nah, I don’t want to bother them with anything,'” Brooks said.
Brooks, jailed on minor theft charges, told his public defender, who told another public defender, Shoshana Paige. She made several calls and Mann was released the same day.’
December 30th, 2005 at 11:00 am
I would sue the shit out of them… that is ridiculous… just another instance of our wonderful justice system at work.