For the Defense - Vol. 7, Issue 2 - 37

Thoughts of a Past President at
the Crossroads of PACDL and
Retirement
I
n October 1984, I was asked by the Court in Chester
County if I would accept the appointment in a racially
and highly charged Rape-Murder case. The Public
Defender developed a conflict of interest. The trial was
scheduled for January 1985. The Court allowed me to
select a qualified co-counsel and would allocate $100 per
day as a fee, for trial only. At the time, there was no one
available in Chester County who was qualified to handle
such a case.
I made the phone call to Art Donato in Delaware
County. I planned to explain the case to Arthur and the
fee structure, but he interrupted me before I could finish.
Instead, he asked me " when do we get started?! "
This case was so sensitive that the venue was changed
twice. We went from Chester County to Carbon County,
then to Dauphin County, and then finally returned to
Chester County for trial in February of 1985. The change
Robert J. Donatoni
of venue gave us an additional thirty days to prepare. The
case was in trial for sixteen and a half days. I know this
because Arthur's fee for the death penalty trial was $1650!
Despite all odds and a frightening amount of evidence,
we never reached the Penalty Phase. Our client was
acquitted of First Degree Murder, but not Felony Murder.
We saved his life. What a remarkable experience this
was for two young lawyers barely 30 years of age. More
importantly, what it reflects is the commitment to each
other and to our clients, and the extraordinary value in
the strength in numbers. Help was simply a phone call
away.
Just over a year ago, after forty-one years of doing what
we do, I retired from the active practice of law. Recognizing
the difference between quitting and quitting while one is
ahead, I tried to follow the latter course.
Vol. 7, Issue 2 l For The Defense 37

For the Defense - Vol. 7, Issue 2

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of For the Defense - Vol. 7, Issue 2

Contents
For the Defense - Vol. 7, Issue 2 - 1
For the Defense - Vol. 7, Issue 2 - 2
For the Defense - Vol. 7, Issue 2 - Contents
For the Defense - Vol. 7, Issue 2 - 4
For the Defense - Vol. 7, Issue 2 - 5
For the Defense - Vol. 7, Issue 2 - 6
For the Defense - Vol. 7, Issue 2 - 7
For the Defense - Vol. 7, Issue 2 - 8
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For the Defense - Vol. 7, Issue 2 - 42
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