Home : Rights of the Poor : Indigent Defense

Judge Authorizes ACLU of Michigan Public Defense Lawsuit against State of Michigan (05/16/2007)
LANSING, MI - An Ingham County Circuit Court Judge ruled today that a lawsuit charging that State of Michigan failed to fulfill its constitutional obligation to provide appropriate defense services for those who cannot afford private counsel will proceed.

Virginia Senate Upholds Governor Kaine's Veto of Bills That Would Have Eliminated the "Triggerman" Rule (04/04/2007)
RICHMOND, VA - The Virginia Senate today upheld Governor Tim Kaine's veto of two bills that could have dramatically increased the number of executions in Virginia by allowing capital charges to be brought against accomplices and others only indirectly involved in first degree murders.

Landmark Lawsuit Seeks Repairs to Michigan Justice System (02/22/2007)
LANSING, MI - The Michigan Coalition for Justice filed a landmark lawsuit today against the state of Michigan and Governor Jennifer Granholm for failing to fulfill their constitutional obligation to provide adequate defense services to those who cannot afford private counsel. The coalition charges that Michigan has long abdicated its duty to ensure that poor people accused of crimes receive timely, qualified and appropriately resourced lawyers for their defense.

Lawyer Selected to Monitor Washington County’s Troubled Public Defender System (02/02/2006)
SEATTLE -- Seattle attorney Jeffery Robinson has been selected to monitor Grant County’s compliance with terms of a settlement agreement to improve the County’s public defender system. The settlement came in a lawsuit that the American Civil Liberties Union of Washington and Columbia Legal Services brought against the county for failing to provide indigent felony defendants with effective assistance of counsel. It was announced today that Robinson will monitor compliance over the six-year term of the agreement.

Michigan Judge Thumbs His Nose at U.S. Supreme Court Ruling on Poor People's Right to an Attorney (01/11/2006)
DETROIT - In a move reserved for extraordinary cases, the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan today filed a class action lawsuit in the Michigan Court of Appeals to force a state judge to comply with a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling granting poor people the right to attorneys on appeal.

Following ACLU of Washington Lawsuit, Grant County Agrees to Overhaul Public Defense System (11/07/2005)
SEATTLE -- Settling a class-action lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union of Washington and Columbia Legal Services, Grant County officials have agreed to overhaul the county’s system for providing legal defense to people charged with felonies who cannot afford an attorney.

U.S. Supreme Court Strikes Down Michigan Law (06/23/2005)
DETROIT -- The U.S. Supreme Court ruled today that the Michigan law denying legal representation to poor people in a criminal appeal is unconstitutional. The American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan filed the one of a kind case after the law was passed in 1999.

ACLU Hails Montana's Public Defense Bill as Leading National Trend (06/08/2005)
HELENA, MT - The American Civil Liberties Union today applauded the Montana Legislature's passage of groundbreaking public defender legislation that creates a new statewide office and guarantees constitutional rights to all Montanans, not just those who can afford to pay lawyers.

Statewide Public Defender Becoming a Reality (06/08/2005)
The American Civil Liberties Union today applauded the Montana legislature for enacting a precedent-setting bill that creates the state's first ever state-wide public defender office.

ACLU of Michigan Argues in Supreme Court that the Poor Have a Right to Counsel (04/25/2005)
DETROIT -- The American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan today urged the Supreme Court to strike down a Michigan law denying legal representation to thousands of poor people in their criminal appeals. The Court will consider the issue during oral argument today.

Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Upholds Indigent Right to Counsel in Historic Case Filed by ACLU (07/28/2004)
BOSTON - The right of poor people to legal counsel was upheld in an historic decision issued today by the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts, in a lawsuit brought by the American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts and the Committee for Public Service Counsel.

ACLU of Washington Report on County Indigent Defense Systems Cites Lack of Standards and Accountability Throughout the State (03/01/2004)
SEATTLE -- The American Civil Liberties Union of Washington today issued a report detailing the problems with how counties provide criminal defense services to people in poverty. The report, "The Unfulfilled Promise of Gideon," shows that a majority of Washington counties lack comprehensive standards and adequate oversight systems to ensure that these publicly funded legal services meet basic constitutional standards.