Asked in Criminal Law and Identity Theft for Arizona

Q: How can I find a pro bono lawyer?

I wasn’t sure which box to check for burglary, but I am reaching out for a long time family-friend of mine who is already incarcerated. I believe he was working with a court appointed attorney here in Pima county but she does not keep in contact. He has not heard from her for quite some time, to my knowledge. I would greatly appreciate any information or suggestions on how to move forward, or who I can contact for him. I am not one hundred percent sure of all that he was convicted of but he was sentenced to sixteen years, he’s completed just over three as of now. The only charges I am aware of are burglary, but he had served three years in prison, one year or so before being sentenced again. His family cannot afford a lawyer, so any information helps, thank you.

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1 Lawyer Answer

A: Pro Bono attorneys are public defenders. That's what he has. They aren't private attorneys. As a former deputy public defender I can confidently say they have a huge caseload of hundreds of other cases. They don't have time to "check in" regularly. They're not there to comfort you and spend hours talking with you about your case. However, they are zealous advocates for their clients when the time comes.... generally. If he wants more, he needs to pay a private attorney.

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