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Evaluation of Trial-Level Indigent Defense Systems in Michigan
Evaluation of Trial-Level Indigent Defense Systems in Michigan is a publication of the National Legal Aid &
Defender Association. A Race to the Bottom June 2008 Researched and written by the National Legal Aid & Defender Association
Note: Due to its large file size, the report has been divided into several parts. You can also view the report as one document. [View Entire Report 5.99MB PDF] Executive Summary
The National Legal Aid & Defender Association (NLADA) finds that the state of Michigan
fails to provide competent representation to those who cannot afford counsel in
its criminal courts. The state of Michigan’s denial of its constitutional obligations has
produced myriad public defense systems that vary greatly in defining who qualifies for
services and the competency of the services rendered. Though the level of services varies
from county to county – giving credence to the proposition that the level of justice a poor
person receives is dependent entirely on which side of a county line one’s crime is alleged
to have been committed instead of the factual merits of the case – NLADA finds that none
of the public defender services in the sample counties are constitutionally adequate. Table of Contents Endnotes 128KB PDF |
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