The article argues that recent executive overreach and politicization have severely undermined established norms of U.S. civil-military relations. To restore professional standards, the incoming Congress must actively exercise its oversight powers, moving beyond mere criticism to demanding transparency in defense policy and personnel decisions. Key reforms include enforcing meritocratic promotion processes, requiring documented justification for senior officer removals, and preventing the partisan use of the military. These actions are crucial for bolstering public trust and ensuring the military remains a nonpartisan instrument of civilian control.
Los Angeles County Public Defender Attorney Workload Study: Final Report
English Summary
The study concludes that while the Los Angeles County Public Defender's Office (LACPD) utilizes a Case Complexity System (CCS) to manage workload, the system is structurally flawed and often misaligns case complexity with actual attorney effort. Analysis using time studies and expert panels revealed that the CCS underestimates the demands of certain serious cases and is limited by poor data quality and lack of proportionality. Policy recommendations emphasize recalibrating the CCS and, critically, formalizing support staff roles (e.g., paralegals) to minimize non-legal administrative tasks, thereby ensuring constitutionally adequate representation and informing multiyear staffing plans.
中文摘要
本研究結論指出，儘管洛杉磯縣公設辯護人辦公室（LACPD）利用案件複雜度系統（CCS）來管理工作量，但該系統存在結構性缺陷，且常使案件複雜度與律師實際投入的精力產生偏差。運用時間研究和專家小組的分析顯示，CCS低估了某些嚴重案件的實際要求，且受限於資料品質不佳和缺乏比例性。政策建議強調必須重新校準CCS，並關鍵性地正式化支援人員的角色（例如法律助理），以最小化非法律行政任務，從而確保符合憲法規定的充分辯護權，並為制定多年期人員配置計畫提供參考。
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