Criminal Defense Attorneys’ Unit to Fight Governor’s Pick for State Public Defender

In a move that could set off a confirmation battle in 1989, a leading association of criminal defense attorneys will oppose Gov. George Deukmejian’s choice of Harvey Zall as state public defender, lawyers in the organization said Thursday.

The 2,000-member California Attorneys for Criminal Justice took its stand after four months of interviews with deputies and former employees who, according to the organization, accused Zall of being vindictive, a poor manager and of lacking commitment to the office’s main mission--defense of Death Row inmates.

Zall, a veteran 11-year public defender, could not be reached, but was quoted by the Los Angeles Daily Journal legal newspaper as saying the organization’s action was based on “incomplete information and uninformed opinion.”

Zall was named in March to head the office of about 50 attorneys who specialize in defending Death Row inmates on appeal. His confirmation hearing before the Senate Rules Committee is scheduled Jan. 18.

‘In-the-Bag Confirmation’

“There are rumors that it is an in-the-bag confirmation,” said Howard Gillingham, a Los Angeles attorney who helped investigate Zall. “. . . This is a guy who likes to throw the names of legislators around as though he has some sort of entre. That is fair enough if he is doing the job. But based on our study . . . that is not the case.”

Gillingham added that the association’s decision “has nothing to do with (his conservative) philosophy,” but was made because Zall is not doing the job properly.

In a statement, the association accused Zall of bringing about “widespread demoralization” and pointed out that his appointment prompted several veteran attorneys, including several who were more experienced in handling death penalty appeals, to leave for private practice.

The association said it “condemns” Zall’s “apparent difficulty in accepting advice” and his “inability to make timely decisions.” The attorneys’ group also accused Zall of wasting tax money by hiring outside attorneys to represent him in at least two personnel actions against past and present employees.

“He strikes me as somebody who is paranoid about people (being) after him and is constantly spending lots of time covering that,” Gillingham said.