All articles tagged with #public defenders
Originally Published 5 months ago — by CBS News
The Criminal Justice Act, which funds court-appointed private lawyers for indigent defendants, is facing a financial crisis due to congressional funding shortfalls, risking delays in trials, unpaid legal work, and potential violations of defendants' constitutional rights, highlighting the urgent need for sustained federal support to uphold the justice system.
Originally Published 2 years ago — by Deadline
ABC has passed on several TV pilots, including Public Defenders, Keeping It Together, The Hurt Unit, and Judgement. However, ABC Signature plans to shop The Hurt Unit to other networks and platforms, while 20th Television will be shopping Public Defenders and Judgement. The decision comes after ABC made the majority of its pickup and cancellation decisions last month.
Originally Published 2 years ago — by Yahoo News
The Florida Judicial Qualifications Commission has recommended that Circuit Judge Elizabeth Scherer be publicly reprimanded for showing bias towards the prosecution and failing to curtail "vitriolic statements" directed at Cruz's attorneys by the victims' families during the penalty trial of Parkland school shooter Nikolas Cruz. The commission found that Scherer violated several rules governing judicial conduct during the trial and allowed her emotions to overcome her judgement. Scherer announced last month that she would be retiring from the bench on June 30.
Originally Published 2 years ago — by The Daily Beast
Prosecutors are seeking fines in addition to prison sentences for convicted Jan. 6 rioters who raised thousands of dollars on conservative crowdfunding site GiveSendGo under the guise of legal fee fundraising. Many of these individuals are using free public defenders, raising questions about where the donations are going. Prosecutors have requested fines equal to the amount raised be imposed on these individuals as punishment.
Originally Published 2 years ago — by NPR
The promise of the Supreme Court's landmark ruling in Gideon v. Wainwright that guaranteed criminal defendants the right to a lawyer has been challenged by budgets and high demand. Public defenders face understaffing, crushing caseloads, underpayment, and undervaluation, leading to a lack of resources and respect. The American legal system is built on the idea that evenly matched adversaries will clash in court, but this is not the case for people with lower incomes. The Biden administration is making access to the courts a priority, reestablishing a standalone Access to Justice office and putting a former public defender in charge. Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats have introduced legislation to create a new source of grant funding to hire public defenders and raise their pay to level the playing field with prosecutor salaries.