1 out of 60

If dependency defense is a highly specialized and under-appreciated field of law, capital murder defense seems to be more so, at least as measured by those willing to do it under the new rules.

I'll skip to the last few sentences of this story.

Fort Myers attorney Ian Mann, who will not take additional court-appointed cases, said capital murder cases could clog the system.

"When it happens, you're going to be in a position where these cases go nowhere fast," he said. "It's rare, but it will happen."

Shirley said local defense attorneys have been keeping in touch, waiting to see what happens with the new law.

"We're trying to send the Legislature a little message that we appreciate them trying to save money — this is just not the way to do it," he said. "The system is going to crash — I think this is what we're waiting on."

The entire article is worth a look.

Of the 60 attorneys listed on the circuit's registry of attorneys willing to take cases, only 36 have signed a contract with the Judicial Administration Commission, the Tallahassee agency that oversees statewide court operations and pays court-appointed attorneys. And of the 36, only one attorney, Kevin Shirley of Punta Gorda, is qualified to handle capital death penalty murder cases.