July 28, 2004

Mass. High court rules that lawyer shortage violates rights of Poor Defendants

July 28, 2004/ Tron Nick

The state's highest court ruled Wednesday that a shortage of defense lawyers caused by low pay is violating the constitutional rights of some indigent defendants, and said criminal cases must be dismissed against those who go without a lawyer for more than 45 days. The Supreme Judicial Court, ruling in a long-simmering dispute over the rate of pay for private lawyers who represent poor defendants, also ruled that criminal defendants cannot be held more than seven days in jail without a lawyer. [more]

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Mass. High court rules that lawyer shortage violates rights of Poor Defendants

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