Carlos Gamino on the Public Defender Accused of Having Sex with a Client
by Attorney Carlos Gamino on 04/29/14
In mid-March, a Colorado public defender lost her job for
having sex with a client – and she was caught on tape. Here’s what Wisconsin Attorney
Carlos A. Gamiño had to say:
“When public defender Lucy Martin became involved in an
affair with her client, she didn’t do her best to keep it private. The problem,
though, is that she entered into the affair in the first place; forget about
discretion.”
An affair is one thing, and everyone is entitled to their
own opinion on that.
But this is sex with a client (albeit a former one). This is
a whole different ballgame. It wasn’t just a one-time thing, either. It was a
regular, ongoing occurrence.
The person Martin had sex with and engaged in an emotional
affair with – a suspect in aggravated robbery who was later convicted – was her
client. Even though public defenders’ fees aren’t paid by the people they
represent, they’re still clients… no matter where the money comes from.
Martin isn’t making any comments on the issue, but news station KDVR reports that since she
worked in the jail where her love interest was incarcerated, she may be guilty
of a felony. She can also be disbarred and lose the privilege of practicing law
forever.
Martin was fired by the public defender’s office for having
sex with a client, and details of her case are still emerging. We’ll just have
to wait and see how it all pans out.
