How can we miss you if you won't leave?

"There is some confusion" as to who is the public defender of Greene County, New York.

Greg Lubow declared Monday that he is still the county public defender, claiming the county illegally appointed an interim successor. County Attorney Carol Stevens, however, said Lubow should "cease and desist" calling himself the public defender.

She added that despite threats from Lubow, Assistant Public Defender Jon Kosich took the interim position and by doing so prevented a fiasco when the courts came back into session after the New Year. Depending on who you ask, Lubow's term either expired on December 31, or is still going strong.

Things are no less confused over in the Venango County, PA, public defenders office. The local paper reports cryptically that "(t)here are indications that chief public defender John C. Lackatos and assistant public defender Paul Yessler have resigned from their positions."

"Officials are mum regarding the status of Lackatos, who has served as chief public defender for about two years.... State police have charged Lackatos in connection with a hit-and-run crash Dec. 18 in Sandy Creek Township."

The poor dumb p.d. has been charged with accident involving damage to an attended vehicle or property, accident involving personal injury, driving on a roadway laned for traffic, reckless driving, duty to give information or render aid, period for required lighting, notice of change of address and two counts of failure to give immediate notice of an accident to police. One can imagine the glee of local authorities as they piled on the charges.