Do not criminalized pro-Palestine speech, demonstrations and written material.

I would recommend support for this bill for many of these reasons: I must say thank you for your willingness to put this forward. Let me say first, those lawyers in non-PD areas who get the court appointed cases are as a whole, good solid dedicated lawyers. Not paid enough for sure (thank you for increasing the pay in this bill). Sometimes that court appointed work is an important, crucial part of their private practice. I was one of them in Woodbridge from 1986 to 1996 when I left to take the Appellate Defender job in Richmond. I know many of them from my work at Lantagne Legal Printing helping them file their appeals. I share their concern about the future of their practice. But there are key institutional differences between the individual court appointed lawyers and the public defender office. The mentoring, training, encouraging (As the Bible says: Iron sharpens iron!), and the specialized personnel such as investigators, sentencing specialists, juvenile specialists, and now the appellate cohort being assembled in Richmond under the leadership of Catherine French Zagurskie, all this cannot help but be better for indigents. The present system verges on unequal justice under law. Few if any of the most dedicated court appointed lawyers can meet or exceed what a PD office can do for clients. Yes the PD system needs solid funding and always watch for caseloads and stress and burnout but it is necessary to go statewide. Many of those dedicated court appointed lawyers can enter the PD service. So, I recommend this bill should become law PROVIDED there is sufficient funding for the new offices and positions. Elwood Earl "Sandy" Sanders, Jr., Esq. (VSB 25007) Appellate Defender 1996 to 2000