Private criminal defense lawyers failed to show up for their cases more often than defendants, Philly study finds

Some lawyers are less reliable than defendants when it comes to showing up in court, according to a study of criminal cases in Philadelphia courts during a 10-year span.

Dec 6, 2023 4:12 PM CST

Public defender who defended cocaine use as sometimes beneficial should be suspended, disciplinary counsel says

A lawyer who displayed a “stunning void of evidence regarding any genuine pursuit of sobriety” should be suspended for using cocaine before his client’s hearing and defending it as sometimes helpful, according to a brief filed by the Pennsylvania Office of Disciplinary Counsel.

Dec 5, 2023 3:26 PM CST

Assistant public defender suspended after anti-Israel Marxist newspapers found in PD waiting room

An assistant public defender has been placed on paid leave because he was thought to be the person responsible for placement of Marxist newspapers with anti-Israel content in the waiting room of the public defender’s courthouse office in New Britain, Connecticut.

Nov 20, 2023 11:22 AM CST

PD resigns after video is said to show her tearing down posters of Hamas hostages

A lawyer who worked for New York County Defender Services has resigned after a viral video purportedly showed her tearing down posters displaying hostages held by Hamas.

Nov 9, 2023 3:02 PM CST

Mississippi isn’t following state supreme court’s new rule for protecting poor defendants, critics say

Three months after Mississippi’s Supreme Court directed judges in the state to ensure that poor criminal defendants always have a lawyer as they wait to be indicted, one of those justices acknowledged that the rule isn’t being widely followed.

Oct 20, 2023 9:17 AM CDT

How elimination of cash bail is working in Illinois after 1 month

The jail population is down in Cook County, Illinois, and pretrial detention hearings are getting longer throughout the state after a law eliminating cash bail took effect.

Oct 20, 2023 8:50 AM CDT

Meet Tanya Chutkan, the judge who won’t allow Trump to call special counsel ‘deranged’

A judge with a reputation for being “temperate but unflinching” imposed a partial gag order on former President Donald Trump on Monday. Judge Tanya Chutkan ruled that Trump can’t attack special counsel Jack Smith, his family, his staff and witnesses.

Oct 16, 2023 1:22 PM CDT

In ‘watershed moment,’ report recommends new guidelines for public defender caseloads

Many public defenders are “overloaded” with work, even when caseloads are evaluated under outdated guidelines drafted in 1973 that don't reflect modern-day realities, according to a new study released Tuesday.

Sep 13, 2023 2:24 PM CDT

Federal judge orders release of county’s unrepresented defendants, says problem is ‘complete tragedy’

A federal judge in Eugene, Oregon, has ruled that defendants held without lawyers for 10 days in Washington County, Oregon’s jail must be released from custody.

Aug 18, 2023 11:40 AM CDT

High-earning, court-appointed lawyer failed to provide ‘even a modicum of representation,’ suit alleges

When a Houston man was arrested on suspicion of driving while intoxicated in July 2018, he was “a happily married 65-year-old man.” By the time that his case was dismissed in February 2022, he had lost his home, his truck and his wife.

Aug 9, 2023 2:13 PM CDT

ABA House OKs updated 10 principles for public defense; ‘we cannot allow a two-tier system of justice’

The House of Delegates approved a measure adopting a new iteration of the ABA Ten Principles of a Public Defense Delivery System at the ABA Annual Meeting in Denver on Monday.

Aug 8, 2023 9:10 AM CDT

Congressional budgeting error could slash funds for federal public defenders

Federal public defenders may have to lay off as many as 500 people as a result of a congressional budgeting error in pending spending bills.

Jul 20, 2023 11:25 AM CDT

Lawyer’s racist and anti-Muslim rants on social media entitle defendant to new trial, court rules

The top court in Massachusetts has granted a new trial to a Black, Muslim defendant whose appointed lawyer expressed “vitriolic hatred” and racism in social media posts.

The Massachusetts Supreme…

Jun 16, 2023 4:10 PM CDT

The public defender approach to personal life

I started my legal career in the Oklahoma County Public Defender’s Office. During one of my 1L first-semester classes, the Oklahoma County public defender and the Oklahoma County district attorney spoke with my section. They conveyed the opportunities available in their offices and explained the application process. I knew from the beginning of law school that I wanted to practice criminal defense, so I showed up at the PD’s office the next day. The intern coordinator kindly told me to wait until I had at least finished my first round of final exams.

May 10, 2023 2:52 PM CDT

Court watch movement is growing in numbers and public attention

For the past two years, singer-songwriter Fiona Apple has volunteered with Courtwatch PG, the largest court watch program in the country, to observe legal proceedings in Prince George’s County, Maryland, from her home in Los Angeles. Apple has also joined a group of advocates calling attention to the concept of court watching and aiming to get more people involved.

Apr 19, 2023 8:24 AM CDT