Ever see a public defender make it to the top of the ladder by busting the balls of cops. That's the number one problem, and sometimes even when you pay an attorney, you might have as well made a donation to your favorite charity instead. Now if your filthy rich, as most those shows depict of clients who are filthy rich, you'll get a better run for your money....or if you aren't filthy rich but just happen to have some goods on someone you can drop a dime on that the cops want way worse than they want you, the cops will be more willing to work a deal with your lawyer, otherwise a public defender stands no chance in hell of defeating the road blocks that the cops will put in their way, costing the public defenders office more than it's worth trying to defend them. The only other scenario, from having watch a lot of these shows, that I can think of, would be a gung-ho attorney who comes out of nowhere after reading the headlines of the case, like a Gloria Allred type, who wants to bust ass over a agenda driven case.