Attorney Bea, a criminal defense attorney, was appointed to…
Attorney Bea, a criminal defense attorney, was appointed to represent Ingrid, an indigent defendant, accused of assaulting an elderly man. A year earlier, a woman severely beat Attorney Bea’s elderly grandfather; the woman was subsequently convicted and sent to prison. Because Attorney Bea had been extremely upset by these events, she had since declined to represent in her private practice any individual accused of physically assaulting an elderly person. Nevertheless, because of the court appointment, Attorney Bea agreed to meet with Ingrid. After interviewing Ingrid, Attorney Bea believed that she could competently represent her, but that her repugnance toward Ingrid would be likely to impair the lawyer-client relationship. As a result, Attorney Bea sought to avoid the appointment, informing the court of her reasons for doing so without revealing any of Ingrid’s confidences. Was Attorney Bea’s conduct proper?
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