Georgia Supreme Court justice advocates better indigent care in annual address

ATLANTA - The chief justice of Georgia&#39;s Supreme Court, Norman Fletcher, said Friday the state does a ``woefully inadequate&#39;&#39; job of providing legal counsel for poor people accused of crimes. <br> <br> In his annual State of the Judiciary speech to the General Assembly, Fletcher said 80 percent of criminal defendants in Georgia are considered indigent, or poor. <br> <br> He said, ``We have a very fragmented indigent defense system in this state. Some strong systems, some woefully inadequate.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> Fletcher asked lawmakers to consider overhauling the system and provide fairness in all of Georgia&#39;s courts. A judiciary commission has been reviewing indigent defense in different counties for the past year and is soon to issue recommendations, he said. <br> <br> Fletcher also asked lawmakers to consider paying off student loans for law school graduates who take jobs in the public sector over better-paying jobs in private firms. He compared a loan forgiveness program to loan waivers already in place for new doctors work in rural areas. <br> <br> The chief justice said, ``Because most law graduates are burdened with substantial college and law school debt, many are precluded from entering public service.&#39;&#39; He said that loan forgiveness would provide the state with bright, competent young attorneys to fill much-needed but often unfilled public sector positions. <br> <br> The chief justice also advocated making district attorney races non-partisan. Judgeships already are non-partisan.