NYCLU to Announce Legal Action on Constitutional Right to an Attorney

The New York Civil Liberties Union will announce legal action on Thursday, Nov. 8 that seeks to address the broken public defense system in New York State. The state of New York has a constitutional obligation to provide meaningful and effective public defense services to those who cannot afford a lawyer. But for too long, the state has failed to uphold its obligation to operate a fair and functioning justice system. The fragmented system of county-operated, largely county-funded public defense services is unfair and unreliable. Dozens of reports, studies and hearings have documented the system’s failures over the past 40 years. It is time for action to repair this broken system.