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Vt. Public Defender Laid Off, Budget Cited
October 4, 2007
Barre Montpelier Times Argus (VT)
By The Associated Press
BURLINGTON — The public defender who represents defendants in some of Vermont's most high profile criminal cases was laid off this week as part of a budget cutting move, the state's defender general said.
The cases that were being handled by Lorin Duckman will be handled by other attorneys, said Public Defender Matthew Valerio.
Duckman was the only attorney position eliminated in the Defender General's office, but other vacant positions have gone unfilled and the office has been searching for other savings as well.
"It's part of a number of different things we're attempting to do to deal with the budget shortfall," Valerio said.
Duckman had been handling a sex assault case against Brian Rooney, the Richmond man facing separate charges that he killed University of Vermont student Michelle Gardner-Quinn last October.
Duckman also represented Christopher Williams, the man accused of killing two people and wounding two others last year in Essex.
Valerio said it appeared the murder case against Rooney would come to trial first, so the sexual assault case was further off in the future. In the Williams case, Duckman was working with a co-counsel who can continue representing him.
State records from last year show that Duckman's annual salary was $63,169.60.
Duckman said he was told the decision to lay him off had nothing to do with his performance. "I don't have reason to believe him (Valerio) or not believe him," he said.
Duckman said he didn't know what his plans would be.
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National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL)
1660 L St., NW, 12th Floor, Washington, DC 20036
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