The Marshall Project — Public Defenders — Galsworthy Criminal Justice Reform Program

Public Defenders

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.

Posts tagged The Marshall Project

Why Tennessee Is Challenging the DOJ's Ethics

"The Tennessee case revolves around what any prosecutor in the state, local or federal, should do with evidence that could prove a defendant’s innocence. The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled in the famous Brady v. Maryland and other decisions that district attorneys are duty-bound to disclose this evidence only when it’s “material” to a case — in other words, when it would probably change the outcome. The Justice Department believes that guidepost is enough."

The Marshall Project

August 13, 2018

DiscoveryAnthony BradleyAugust 15, 2018The Marshall Project, Tennessee

Can’t Afford a Lawyer?

"This civil legal system “crisis”, as advocates call it, has sent states scrambling for solutions. Washington has taken the unusual approach of creating an entirely new legal position, one that can help clients with straightforward legal problems for a fraction of the cost. The new “legal technicians”, the first of whom were licensed in 2015, go beyond a paralegal and don’t need a lawyer’s oversight to offer legal advice."

The Marshall Project

July 18, 2018

Lack of Funding, OverbookedAnthony BradleyJuly 30, 2018The Marshall Project, Washington, Right to an Attorney

Public Defenders

Galsworthy CJR Program

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