Public Defense

Resources

News Release, Published: 
Monday, April 3, 2017
The ACLU of Washington has filed a class-action lawsuit against the Office of Public Defense (OPD)— the state agency responsible for public defense in Washington— for failing to enforce minimum standards of public defense in Grays Harbor County.
Published: 
Wednesday, March 2, 2016
The right to a meaningful defense in court, even if you can’t afford a lawyer, is a cornerstone of our justice system. But access to an attorney means little if your attorney lacks the time, resources, or skills to be an effective advocate.
News Release, Published: 
Wednesday, February 19, 2014
Eileen Farley, Director of the Northwest Defenders Division of the King County Department of Public Defense, has been selected as Public Defense Supervisor for Mt. Vernon and Burlington.  The position was established by the U.S. District Court in Seattle in its December 2013 ruling that the cities’ public defense system deprives indigent persons who face misdemeanor criminal charges of their fundamental right to assistance of counsel. The court required the cities to hire a supervisor to ensure their defense system complies with constitutional standards, and the court is keeping jurisdiction over the case for three years while reforms proceed.
News Release, Published: 
Thursday, December 5, 2013
December 5, 2013 In a resounding ruling for fairness in the criminal justice system, the U.S. District Court in Seattle has found that the public defense system of Mt. Vernon and Burlington deprives indigent persons who face misdemeanor criminal charges of their fundamental right to assistance of counsel.
News Release, Published: 
Tuesday, June 11, 2013
A landmark lawsuit to ensure fairness for the accused in Grant County has concluded with major improvements in the county’s felony indigent defense system. The suit wrapped up in April after seven years of court-ordered monitoring – the first time a county public defense system in Washington had undergone such comprehensive oversight. The suit was brought by the ACLU of Washington and Columbia Legal Services.
News Release, Published: 
Thursday, February 23, 2012
The U.S. District Court in Seattle has rejected a motion to dismiss a lawsuit against the cities of Mt. Vernon and Burlington over their failure to provide legal representation to poor people accused of misdemeanors. The court also granted the case class-action status.
News Release, Published: 
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
A lawsuit pending in U.S. District court is challenging the shockingly deficient public defense system in the cities of Mount Vernon and Burlington. The suit says that the cities fail to impose reasonable caseload limits on attorneys, fail to monitor the public defense system, and fail to provide adequate resources to the system.
News Release, Published: 
Friday, December 4, 2009
The ACLU filed a suit in 2004, challenging the constitutionality of the indigent public defense system in Grant County. The suit argued that public defenders were underfunded, overworked and lacked independence, depriving indigent defendants of effective assistance of counsel.
News Release, Published: 
Friday, November 20, 2009
The American Civil Liberties Union today issued a report that details the problems with the manner in which 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.
News Release, Published: 
Friday, November 20, 2009
A class-action lawsuit seeking to reform Grant County’s woefully inadequate public defense system. The lawsuit seeks a court order mandating that the County operate a constitutionally adequate system of public defense. The American Civil Liberties Union and Columbia Legal Services filed the suit in April.

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