An Allegheny County judge who oversees hearings on people’s competency to stand trial has barred a public defender accused of unethical behavior from practicing before her— a controversial remedy that several legal experts said is not within the judge’s authority.
The clash quietly playing out in the court system has created a power struggle between Common Pleas Judge Beth A. Lazzara and the county’s Office of the Public Defender, which represents impoverished clients.
Fundamentally, the dispute is over the limits of judicial authority: How much discretion does a judge have to dictate which attorneys appear before her, including — or especially — those facing allegations of misconduct?…