A lawyer who advised 10 nurses that they were free to quit their jobs at a Long Island nursing facility now faces 13 criminal charges as a result of the nurses’ walkout — a prosecution his supporters say could have a chilling effect on attorneys who represent workers in labor disputes. “I am really surprised that I am a defendant in this criminal case,” Manhattan-based Felix Q. Vinluan, 43, said during a recent interview, his voice cracking with emotion. “I was just doing my job.” However, the Suffolk County district attorney’s office claims that the nurses endangered five chronically ill children and one terminally ill man when they left their posts without giving sufficient notice to administrators to find replacements. Assistant District Attorney Leonard Lato said in an interview that Vinluan was indicted along with his clients because he did more than just advise his clients of their rights. Read more