Missouri death row inmate argues lawyers with flat fees had incentive to work less, affecting 20 death sentences in 40 years.

Missouri death row inmate Brian Dorsey argues that his lawyers, paid a flat fee of $15,000, were incentivized to work less due to the payment structure. Critics claim this issue, present in at least 20 death sentences in the past 40 years, potentially affects the nature of the crime and defendant culpability. While some states changed their payment methods, many still use flat fees, making it difficult to track the issue's scale.

April 03, 2024
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