A US Supreme Court ruling guarantees poor defendants the right to a government-provided attorney. But in New York, a patchwork system of public defender’s offices has meant that the quality of representation that defendants get can depend entirely on the county their case is in. Larger counties such as Monroe have full-time, fully staffed public […]
Monroe County Public Defender’s Office
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 […]
