NCJ Number
105179
Date Published
1987
Length
32 pages
Annotation
A survey was conducted in 1986 to provide baseline data on the amount of time attorneys in private practice have expended and the expenses incurred in providing representation in postconviction death penalty cases in Florida and other States.
Abstract
Results of a mail questionnaire, sent to 41 Florida and 73 out-of-State attorneys and law firms handling such cases indicate time spent ranged from 65 to 4,116 hours. The median hours reported was 400, with an average of 582. This median figure represents approximately 25 percent of the total time the typical attorney devotes to active practice in a year. Median attorney time for Florida cases was approximately 25-percent higher than that for the entire sample. Median attorney hours were highest at the State trial court and Federal district court levels and lowest at the U.S. Supreme Court level. While data on expenses incurred in representing such cases are incomplete, the median amount of expense for Florida cases was $10,000 and for documented cases, $13,556. In many cases, these figures represent out-of-pocket expenses for which the attorneys received no reimbursement. Additional comments from respondents reiterated the substantial time commitment necessary for such cases and the complexity of these cases. 9 tables.