Forty years after the Supreme Court ruled that every person, both rich and poor, is entitled to legal representation, jails across the country are bursting with defendants who can’t afford an attorney. In many states, public defenders are overwhelmed by hundreds of cases.
But in a time of tight budgets, when schools are underfunded and police and fireman rolls are being cut, some wonder if providing free lawyers to repeat offenders is really the way they want their tax dollars spent.
Guests:
Judge Timothy Lewis, co-chair of the National Committee on the Right to Counsel
Tom Workman, President of the Massachusetts Association of Court Appointed Attorneys
Steven Bright, Director of the Southern Center for Human Rights.