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Maine Commission on Indigent Legal Services to run out of money in April 2013
Pleading the Sixth: The Maine Commission on Indigent Legal Services (MCILS) is predicting that it will run out of money to pay assigned counsel attorneys shortly after the 50th Anniversary of Gideon v....
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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...
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U.S. Senator Leahy introduces Gideon’s Promise Act
Pleading the Sixth: In honor of the 50th anniversary of Gideon v. Wainwright, Sen. Patrick Leahy introduced a new bill – the Gideon’s Promise Act – to give the U.S. Department of Justice authorization...
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Florida Supreme Court grants public defenders the right to declare case overload
Pleading the Sixth: On May 23, 2013, the Florida Supreme Court granted the 11th Circuit Public Defender (Miami-Dade County) the right to refuse new cases due to case overload. Importantly, the Court...
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The criminalization of poverty: a spotlight on South Dakota
Pleading the Sixth: When states make counties wholly responsible for the delivery of trial-level indigent defense services without state oversight of those services, bad things can and do happen. In...
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How an otherwise model assigned counsel compensation plan contributes to...
Pleading the Sixth: When states make counties wholly responsible for the delivery of trial-level indigent defense services without state oversight of those services, bad things can and do happen. In...
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Attorney General Holder calls on Congress to help remedy national indigent...
Pleading the Sixth: On August 12, 2013, United States Attorney General Eric Holder issued a nationwide challenge to overhaul our “broken” criminal justice system. Bold steps are needed to ensure equal...
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6AC & SUSL press release on DOJ Grant Award
DOJ selects the Sixth Amendment Center & Seattle University School of Law to respond to nation’s indigent defense “crisis” FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE BOSTON, Massachusetts (October 1, 2013) — The Sixth...
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Montana State Public Defender files motion to decline new cases
Pleading the Sixth: In September 2013, the Montana Office of the State Public Defender filed a motion seeking to decline new cases in two courts of limited jurisdiction. A hearing date set for early...
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US DOJ investigating St. Louis family courts
Pleading the Sixth: Having reached an agreement with Shelby County, Tennessee to usher in major reforms of the county’s juvenile court system and the method for representing children in delinquency...
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Federal Court orders Washington cities to remedy willfully deficient right to...
Pleading the Sixth: A U.S. District Court found in early December that two Washington cities are responsible for the systemic deficiencies depriving the indigent accused of their constitutional right...
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State public defense commission bill entered in Idaho legislature
Pleading the Sixth: A new bill creating a statewide public defense commission was entered into the Idaho House of Representatives in early February 2014. The bill is the recommendation of a legislative...
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Closing Arguments with Fred Friedman
“Closing Arguments” is a joint venture of the National Association for Public Defense (NAPD) and the Sixth Amendment Center (6AC). The 6AC regularly sits down with long-time right to counsel leaders...
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Wyoming public defender budget woes intensifying with increase in capital cases
Pleading the Sixth: The cost of providing competent death penalty representation is expensive due in no small part to the additional Sixth Amendment responsibilities placed on states by the U.S....
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Montana caseload challenge results in a significant increase in resources
Pleading the Sixth: In September 2013, the Montana Office of the State Public Defender filed a motion seeking to decline new cases in two courts of limited jurisdiction. Though the lower court found in...
View ArticleRedefining the Right to Counsel in Tennessee
The voice of the people is negated on indigent defense in Tennessee. The 6AC points to a new way forward in resolving long-standing structural deficiencies in the state’s district defender conference...
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Tennessee undermines own values in providing counsel to the poor
Pleading the Sixth: Tennessee has a grand tradition of holding almost every government function directly accountable to the electorate. However, a major structural flaw in how the state’s indigent...
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Wisconsin’s low attorney compensation rates create conflicts for the indigent...
Pleading the Sixth: Imagine holding the same job for 30 years without ever once receiving a raise. If that job required you to pay for many of the associated costs of doing business, inflation alone...
View ArticleLast Week Tonight tackles indigent defense crisis
The 6AC was proud to help the folks at Last Week Tonight with John Oliver over the past couple of weeks as they developed an in-depth segment on the nationwide indigent defense crisis. Watch it here.
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Utah’s right to counsel deficiencies
Pleading the Sixth: On October 26, 2015, the Sixth Amendment Center released a report exposing Utah’s long-standing, deep-rooted indigent defense deficiencies, including no state oversight, prosecutors...
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