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It may be safe to say Melissa Day's upbringing helped influence her career choice. Day, a federal public defender with the Southern District of Illinois United States District Court in Benton, grew up in a house brimming with law and all things related. Her father was a police officer and her mother a court reporter.
Day, at the regular monthly meeting of the West Frankfort Rotary Club, which also welcomed guests from Benton's Rotary, said she graduated from the University of Kansas School of Law. Her first federal position was in Honolulu.
Day said her office doesn't receive payment from its clients and that she is a salaried federal employee.
"At the same time, we try to make them (prosecutors) work hard," said Day. "And it is the same for prosecutors. Criminal defense work is very expensive and many people cannot afford a criminal attorney."
And that's where Day comes in. To give a citizen his or her constitutional right to an attorney. According to Day, as much as 90-percent of federal cases in the 27-county district are handled by federal public defenders instead of private lawyers.
"Unless a person shows up with an attorney we will meet with them and look at their financial assets and debts. If it is determined (by the court) that there is a financial need, an officer is appointed."
Day described the majority of cases that file through her office as drug and firearm related. Many others are "white collar crimes."
A main concern for Day, and her office, is to help those charged receive their due process.
"A person may get into trouble one time and it can follow them for the rest of their lives," she explained.
"A person may believe sometimes because of the nature in which they are prosecuted that it is no big deal but those convictions can pop up later in life with background checks."
And it can be quite a case load. The federal office in Benton includes two assistant federal public defenders and one staff attorney.
The East St. Louis office has four assistant public defenders and a staff attorney.
Currently, Day said her office has 28-current cases. That number includes cases pending, trial sentencing, appeal motions pending and supervised release.
Day also spoke of juvenile offenders and her sense of duty to make sure they receive proper representation.
"I would hate to be judged for the one worst thing I did for the rest of my life, as I am sure many of us feel the same way," she said.
“A lot of these juveniles didn't have two parents, a roof over their head or three meals. They don't have any of that, they're not just missing one of those things."
Day went on to say, "Where were we as a society when they were dealing with that?"
That attitude alone is what makes Day the right professional for the job.
It may be safe to say Melissa Day's upbringing helped influence her career choice. Day, a federal public defender with the Southern District of Illinois United States District Court in Benton, grew up in a house brimming with law and all things related. Her father was a police officer and her mother a court reporter.
Day, at the regular monthly meeting of the West Frankfort Rotary Club, which also welcomed guests from Benton's Rotary, said she graduated from the University of Kansas School of Law. Her first federal position was in Honolulu.
Day said her office doesn't receive payment from its clients and that she is a salaried federal employee.
"At the same time, we try to make them (prosecutors) work hard," said Day. "And it is the same for prosecutors. Criminal defense work is very expensive and many people cannot afford a criminal attorney."
And that's where Day comes in. To give a citizen his or her constitutional right to an attorney. According to Day, as much as 90-percent of federal cases in the 27-county district are handled by federal public defenders instead of private lawyers.
"Unless a person shows up with an attorney we will meet with them and look at their financial assets and debts. If it is determined (by the court) that there is a financial need, an officer is appointed."
Day described the majority of cases that file through her office as drug and firearm related. Many others are "white collar crimes."
A main concern for Day, and her office, is to help those charged receive their due process.
"A person may get into trouble one time and it can follow them for the rest of their lives," she explained.
"A person may believe sometimes because of the nature in which they are prosecuted that it is no big deal but those convictions can pop up later in life with background checks."
And it can be quite a case load. The federal office in Benton includes two assistant federal public defenders and one staff attorney.
The East St. Louis office has four assistant public defenders and a staff attorney.
Currently, Day said her office has 28-current cases. That number includes cases pending, trial sentencing, appeal motions pending and supervised release.
Day also spoke of juvenile offenders and her sense of duty to make sure they receive proper representation.
"I would hate to be judged for the one worst thing I did for the rest of my life, as I am sure many of us feel the same way," she said.
“A lot of these juveniles didn't have two parents, a roof over their head or three meals. They don't have any of that, they're not just missing one of those things."
Day went on to say, "Where were we as a society when they were dealing with that?"
That attitude alone is what makes Day the right professional for the job.
