Defendants on the lower end of the socio-economic scale find themselves at the mercy of public defenders who are swamped with cases, understaffed, and underfunded. Research shows that even before mass incarceration accelerated in the 1980s, overburdened systems of indigent defense struggled to meet the 6th Amendment constitutional mandate. Public defenders usually have the deck stacked against them due to discovery laws favoring prosecutors and lack of sufficient resources.
"Last year, the public defender office handled about 5,000 cases. The office that started out with just a couple of lawyers has grown. More people charged with crimes who are unable to afford private attorneys are coming to the office to seek legal help."
Greenville News
June 29, 2018
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