Local leaders say they’re sick of the governor pointing the finger at them for high property taxes
Indigent defense
Posted inNews & Opinion
Bills seek public defense funding
New York has a patchwork system for providing defense attorneys for poor people charged with crimes. Some counties hire attorneys in private practice to represent the clients, though at far below their usual rates, while the larger counties have their own staffs of full-time public defenders, whose caseloads are often far heavier than they should […]
Posted inNews & Opinion
Some progress on indigent defense
New York State has settled a lawsuit that accused it of systematically depriving poor criminal defendants of their right to counsel. And in doing so it has recognized, for the first time, that it is responsible for providing legal representation for those defendants, say state civil rights and indigent defense groups. In a 50-year-old decision, […]
Posted inNews & Opinion
For the poor, search for equal justice continues
Life as a defense attorney for the poor often means long days, modest pay, and crushing caseloads. In the Monroe County Public Defender’s Office, attorneys in some bureaus handle more than double the number of cases recommended by national guidelines. The heavy workload has kept the office from providing some defendants in town and village […]
