On today's Your Call, we’ll speak with public defenders about representing the poor. It’s been more than half a century since the Supreme Court ruled that every defendant in a criminal case deserves legal representation, even if they can’t pay for it. Many public defenders say they are overworked and underpaid. So how is this affecting the justice system? And what needs to change? Join the conversation on the next Your Call with Holly Kernan and You.
Guests:
Jeff Adachi, San Francisco County Public Defender
Lawrence Biggam, Santa Cruz County Public Defender
Resources:
The Atlantic: How Americans Lost the Right to Counsel, 50 Years After ‘Gideon'
Journalist’s Resource: Public defenders, attorney quality and trial outcomes: Research on legal representation
WSWS: 100 years since founding of the Los Angeles Public Defender’s Office
NPR:As Court Fees Rise, The Poor Are Paying The Price
NPR:Profiles Of Those Forced To 'Pay Or Stay'
Post-Gazette: The Cautionary Instruction: Public defenders and prosecutors underpaid
Fusion: Right to a Speedy Trial? This Innocent Teenager Waited 3 Years in Jail
Monterey Herald:Gideon's promise: 50 years after landmark case, public defenders worry about their future