Overworked and understaffed public defenders aren't able to meet the constitutionally required minimum standards for fair trials, to the point that last year, the state started to let defendants walk, purely because no one was able to represent them after a week. Without effective counsel and access to it, it is very easy for the state to steamroll the accused toward gambling on a known plea deal or dealing with the uncertainty of trial.
As evictions climb to pre-pandemic levels, most New Yorkers facing eviction may not be getting the legal representation they are entitled to, according to a new report from the New York City Independent Budget Office. The report, released Thursday, highlights ongoing challenges with the city's Right to Counsel program, which promises free legal counsel to low-income tenants facing eviction. But the report finds that only a fraction-30 percent-of eligible tenants got full legal representation under the program last year.
Court officials have warned that the defender services program will no longer have funds to pay appointed attorneys for representing criminal defendants who can't afford representation.