Flaws in West Virginia indigent defense system result in non-lawyer representing indigent defendants
Flaws in West Virginia indigent defense system result in non-lawyer representing indigent defendants
Pleading the Sixth: In Logan County, West Virginia, a recent law school graduate who never passed the bar exam was allowed to represent the indigent accused in misdemeanor court. This is an obvious violation of the Sixth Amendment right to counsel, and it exposes flaws in the structure of West…
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March 26, 2024
New Guam report finds judicial influence over indigent defense
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March 22, 2024
Louisiana Governor institutionalizes political interference
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March 19, 2024
South Dakota leaves nation’s “no state funding” list in groundbreaking legislation
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March 5, 2024
Strike 5: The State of California calls a strike on San Benito County
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December 14, 2023
Pennsylvania is off the “no state funding” list. Is South Dakota next?
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December 11, 2023
Virginia legislative report finds low fee caps cause problems
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August 8, 2023
Revised ABA Ten Principles: A new public defense roadmap for policymakers
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July 14, 2023
Oregon passes sweeping indigent defense reforms
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July 12, 2023
New Jersey abolishes public defender reimbursement fees in felony cases
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May 16, 2023
Strike Four, now what? ACLU sues Kern County, California for systemically denying counsel
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April 4, 2023
Low attorney pay in New York: a cautionary tale for the country
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Criminal justice issues that disproportionately harm poor people, such as wrongful convictions and over-incarceration, cannot be fixed if indigent defendants are given attorneys who do not have the time, resources, or qualifications, to be a constitutional check on government. Yet, investment in improving indigent defense services remains largely neglected. The Sixth Amendment Center is the only nonprofit organization in the country that exclusively examines, uncovers, and helps fix the root of the indigent defense crisis in which inequality is perpetuated because poor defendants do not get a fair fight.
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