Uh..... NO!!!
The Public Defenders office exists solely to pay lip service to fulfilling your right to an attorney.
Even IF they were to do as diligent a job as possible, a PD's case load does not allow for enough time to vigorously defend each client. No possible way. A Public Defender can only spend an average of about an hour or two per case. There is no way toe mount a defense in that time frame.
Almost everyone who goes to trial with a PD has perfectly good grounds for an appeal due to ineffective assistance of counsel.
There may be a bit of truth to what you're saying, but I would respectfully disagree with much of it. True, some PD's are overworked and should spend more time on certain cases. That doesn't necessarily mean the end result would be any different. And no, there is no basis to support your assertion that "almost everyone who goes to trial with a PD has perfectly good grounds for an appeal due to ineffective assistance of counsel."
PD's usually received grades in the top 3rd of their law school class. Some of them had a passion for representing "the downtrodden" while they were still in school, and becoming a PD was, in their minds, a huge achievement. Many of them leave the PD's office after 4 - 5 years and open their own criminal defense firm, or get hired by a local firm. This creates an obvious incentive for them to have the best track record they can while they are learning the ropes in the PD's office.
In any event, the facts of this particular crime are basic and the laws are most likely straightforward. I didn't hear anything to suggest that there is some dispute over what the facts were. The facts and law will not change no matter how much you spend on an attorney. Any reasonably prudent PD should be able to handle this matter effectively.
I'm not suggesting that you don't hire an attorney. If you can afford an attorney, you should. In fact, if you can afford an attorney then you may not qualify for the assistance of the PD's office. I'm just saying that there are highly qualified, conscientious, hard working attorneys working as PD's.
