When a father of two children with special needs was charged in November 2021 with helping a loan shark, the prosecution initially sought eight to 12 months' imprisonment and a $30,000 fine.
However, when public defender Mohamed Sarhan Mohamed Ikhbar was assigned to the case, he wrote to the prosecution and pointed out that the man was not only the family's breadwinner but also the main caregiver for the children, who were both under 10 years of age. Furthermore, the man had committed the crime only because threats were made against his children.
Even though the prosecutor agreed to seek a lower jail term of two to four months, Mr Sarhan urged the court to further reduce it, with his client receiving six weeks' jail and a $30,000 fine.
Mr Sarhan, 27, told The Straits Times: "I found it very fulfilling because we were able to see how we could assist him further (in the light of) his rather exceptional circumstances.
"If we had not come on board and if he had been sentenced to a long period of time, what would have happened to his two children?" His client did not have to pay a cent of legal fees to Mr Sarhan as he is one of about 15 public defenders in the newly minted Public Defender's Office (PDO), which marked its first year on Dec 1.
ST spoke to three public defenders of varying legal experience on why they chose to join the PDO and the challenges they face serving clients who need it most.
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der December 18, 2023-Ausgabe von The Straits Times.
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