La. Governor sued over state’s alleged failure to provide lawyers to poor defendants, By Rebecca Hersher, February 7, 2017, National Public Radio: “Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards was sued Monday over his state’s public defender system, which plaintiffs say violates the U.S. and Louisiana Constitutions by denying effective representation to poor people accused of crimes. The lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court describes defendants kept in jail for months before seeing a lawyer, public defenders who are so overworked they cannot provide adequate counsel and multiple instances in which people accused of minor crimes did not receive an attorney at all…”
Tag: Public defenders
Public Defender System – Indiana
Indiana’s public defender system flawed, study says, By Fatima Hussein, October 24, 2016, Indianapolis Star: “The state’s public defender system is not only woefully underfunded, legal experts say, the Sixth Amendment right to a fair and speedy trial is routinely violated in Indiana. Lack of oversight of the public defense system, inconsistent funding and subpar representation contribute to the problems, the experts said…”
Guardian Series on US Public Defender System
Justice Denied, series homepage, September 2016, The Guardian: “A three-part series in partnership with the Marshall Project that examines the crisis of America’s overburdened public defense systems, including a special report from Louisiana, where years of cuts and inconsistent funding have hit hardest…”