Pleading the Sixth: On June 27, 2018, the Supreme Court of Wisconsin ordered the compensation paid by counties to assigned counsel appointed by the courts raised from $70/hour to $100/hour beginning in January 2020, while the compensation paid by the state…
Tag: public defender office
The devolution of the right to counsel in Wayne County, Michigan (Detroit)
Pleading the Sixth: A public defender office handling felony representation in Detroit was flat funded for 16 years. This despite a critical national report, an ACLU lawsuit, and comprehensive statutory reform, all intended to ensure effective representation of the indigent accused…
Missouri’s “Perfect Storm” explained
Pleading the Sixth: As if excessive caseloads, a lack of independence, inadequate funding, and low compensation were not enough of a problem for those charged with providing right to counsel services in Missouri, public defenders are now being forced into…
Tennessee Supreme Court Task Force recommends complete overhaul of right to counsel services
Pleading the Sixth: Recognizing that the State of Tennessee needs a better way of providing right to counsel services, in September 2015 former Chief Justice Sharon Lee created an Indigent Representation Task Force and challenged them to “build a better mousetrap.”…
DOJ recommendations for Shelby County, TN place financial burden on the county; Task Force would place responsibility on the state
Pleading the Sixth: For nearly five years, the U.S. Department of Justice has been trying to improve the representation of children in delinquency proceedings in Shelby County (Memphis), Tennessee. As the DOJ seeks to put more indigent defense funding responsibilities on…
Alabama reforms spark expanded use of public defender model
Pleading the Sixth: The indigent defense reforms enacted in 2011 are starting to take root in Alabama. Rather than leading to a proliferation of flat-fee contracting, as some have feared, state funding has steadily increased under the reforms, prompting both…
Tagged with: Alabama, funding, Jefferson County AL, legislation, Montgomery County AL, public defender office
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