&gt; I’ve been asked by my family members, my friends and my hairdresser why I represent criminals.<p>That&#x27;s the most sad part of this article to me. Many people have lost innocent-until-proven-guilty in their minds. Tina has a good response in the article:<p>&gt; The answer is that I, and other public defenders, don’t represent criminals. We represent poor people who are facing criminal charges — charges on which they are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court. We represent members of our communities who have a right to real and meaningful legal representation, even if they are poor.