The Appeal — Public Defenders — Galsworthy Criminal Justice Reform Program

In Missouri, Public Defenders Push to Put Poor Defendants on Wait List in Attempt to Improve Their Legal Representation

“Public defenders in St. Louis County, Missouri, are seeking to introduce a wait list for poor defendants in need of their services. They say the list, which is awaiting approval from a judge, will help improve the quality of representation by attorneys who routinely carry caseloads so high that they’re unable to devote enough time to properly represent their clients. Critics of the plan say making poor people wait for attorneys will hurt their cases and violate their constitutional rights, but St. Louis County attorneys say it’s a necessary step that they’ve been forced to take to ensure people are provided with competent representation. “

The Appeal

November 26, 2019

Lack of Funding, Improving RepresentationPhillip ReevesNovember 26, 2019The Appeal, MissouriComment

Wisconsin's 'Constitutional Crisis' Is Forcing People to Sit in Jail without a Lawyer

“The right to counsel is a core protection for people facing criminal charges, but in Wisconsin, that right is largely theoretical. The state has one of the most underfunded indigent defense systems in the country, but the underlying problem is neither new nor unique to Wisconsin. “

The Appeal

May 20, 2019

Lack of FundingPhillip ReevesMay 20, 2019The Appeal, WisconsinComment

Louisiana judge threatens to appoint every eligible lawyer to death penalty case

“The wait list for capital defense representation has been growing for a year and a half, since the state legislature diverted $3 million from the board’s $8.5 million capital defense fund to local public defender offices, a move Dixon describes as ‘basically rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.’ Currently seven people facing the death penalty are in jail indefinitely because they can’t afford a lawyer—a situation that Bunton calls the ‘worst kind of limbo’ for defendants, as well as victims’ families.“

The Appeal

October 29, 2018

Lack of Funding, Pre-trial DifficultiesPhillip ReevesOctober 29, 2018The Appeal, LouisianaComment

Public defenders say New York's new policy to reduce marijuana arrests doesn't go far enough

“By arresting people for marijuana if they have a record, by arresting people for marijuana if they happen to be on parole—those people, more often than not, are going to be people of color who only live in certain neighborhoods. Because those are the people who are targeted. Those are the people who are arrested, not because they commit more crime but because they are overpoliced.“

The Appeal

September 17, 2018

Public DefendersPhillip ReevesSeptember 18, 2018The Appeal, New York, MarijuanaComment

These Public Defenders Want to Fight Bias from the Bench

"Public defenders are trying to transform the justice system wholesale. For starters, they’re focusing on diversion for those arrested and treating incarceration as an option of last resort."

The Appeal

June 1, 2018

Public DefendersAnthony BradleyJuly 30, 2018The Appeal, Elections

In Las Vegas, Critics Say Prosecutors Don't Play Fair When It Comes to Sharing Evidence

"Attorneys with the Office of the Clark County Public Defender say the county’s district attorney’s office frequently violates the law that governs the sharing of information, also known as 'discovery'."

The Appeal

May 23, 2018

DiscoveryAnthony BradleyJuly 30, 2018The Appeal, Las Vegas, Nevada, Clark County

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