No I mean ALL defense attorneys. None that are private. That's the only way anyone gets equal representation.
As it stands, you have cases such as where a billionaire raped his children, and they worked the sentence down to child rape, which inexplicably has no minimum sentence, and the judge gave him probation. (though personally I think the judge's palms were greased on that one, and she should have been put under investigation.)
Frankly, the rich can burn, if it comes to that. All of them.
That's one really ill-advised idea. I still fondly remember the times of glorious socialism, when the judge, prosecutor and attorney were on the same payroll. Noone would give a damn about accused. In worst case scenarios they all worked nicely together against him (or with him if he was some prominent guy).
I feel like there's got to be a way around that.
Because the current system just favors the rich, and everyone else suffers. Remember, that is the system that the poor get now.
Public defender system you have right now is on the right track. Everyone should have an attorney and if you cannot pay for him, the state will. State-appointed attorney won't probably be as good as the one you pay for from your own and that is not really a problem. Good attorney costs a lot of money and state is here to provide you with minimal standard, not luxury ride.
Perhaps you don't understand the gravity of that statement.
The poor, by virtue of having less money, are not entitled to the "luxury" of a competent and invested defense attorney. The rich, by virtue of having more money, have "earned" the right to better justice.
Since when is having justice served a luxury? If I'm innocent, I have the right to someone who is capable and willing of defending me, lest I end up in jail or in old sparky.
What is happening now, and what apparently you think is a privilege of the rich, (and technically it is in our society, but it shouldn't be,) is that the poor, especially minorities, suffer increased conviction rates, longer stays in prison, higher likelihood of the death penalty.
You think being wealthy should earn you the "luxury" of not getting sent to the chair? Because I don't.