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Public defender in YSL trial in hot water
The Georgia Public Defender Council (GPDC) wants to remove one of the attorney's in the YSL trial from the case. The GPDC has filed a motion asking that Angela D'Williams, who represents Rodalius Ryan, be taken off the case, citing that she has said one thing publicly and another in private.
ATLANTA - The Georgia Public Defender Council (GPDC) wants to remove one of the attorney's in the YSL trial from the case.
The GPDC has filed a motion asking that Angela D'Williams, who represents Rodalius Ryan, be taken off the case. Last week D'Williams filed a motion asking to withdraw herself from representing Ryan in the trial. She cited that the pay is too low, $15,000, for a case that could last a year.
Angela DWilliams, who represents Rodalius Ryan in the YSL trial, filed a motion last week to withdraw from the case (FOX 5 Atlanta).
The council accuses D'Williams of making publicly claims that she wants to withdraw from the case, but in private she does not.
In its motion, the GPDC cites a text message it says is from D'Williams to her colleagues, which states "I filed a motion to withdraw as a way to force GPDC to pay me more money. Please don't help the judge grant my motion. The goal is to have the judge deny my motion."
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The text message goes on to say, "If the press asks, please do not say you hope the judge grants my motion."
Copy of the text Angela D'Williams allegedly sent her colleagues (FOX 5 Atlanta).
Daryl Cohen is a criminal defense lawyer and former prosecutor with the Fulton County District Attorney's Office. He says the whole situation is very unusual.
"To do what she did is unconscionable in my view," he said. "Is this unethical? In my view it is."
GPDC wants to remove D'Williams from representing Ryan, saying, "It is not in her clients best interest for Ms. D'Williams to go forward as counsel."
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Tom Church is a trial attorney. He says D'Williams could face discipline from the court.
"I wouldn’t be surprised if the judge in this case take some sort of action – some sort of remedial action to punish the lawyer—if it’s verified the text messages were sent and that the attorney said what the messages reflect," he told FOX 5.
FOX 5 has reached out to D'Williams for comment.
The GPDC declined to comment on the matter.