Key legal question
Whether the defense had to be heard before the fee reduction
Extracted holding
No; neither cantonal law nor Art. 29(2) BV created a right to be heard before the intended reduction, and any defect was cured on appeal.
Extracted reasoning
The right to be heard does not generally entitle counsel to prior consultation on a fee cut. In any event, the appellant could fully argue the issue in the cantonal appeal, where free review applied.