- Posted April 05, 2013
- Tweet This | Share on Facebook
Lawsuit over criminal defense system proceeds
LANSING (AP) -- The Michigan Court of Appeals has ruled that a long-running lawsuit can continue that challenges the system of appointing lawyers for criminal defendants who can't afford them.
In a 2-1 decision released Wednesday, the court says a lower judge was OK to reject the state's contention that the case shouldn't be granted class-action status.
The suit says the rights of poor people have been violated because of the paltry pay for court-appointed lawyers.
One appeals judge says the suit has had a "tortured history" in the state Supreme Court. It was filed more than six years ago, yet no judge has ruled on the underlying case.
The American Civil Liberties Union says it's hopeful it will get a chance to prove the indigent system is broken and must be fixed.
Published: Fri, Apr 5, 2013
headlines Oakland County
- Meet the Judges
- Owner of twice-sunken Lake Michigan barge pleads guilty to felony
- Justice Dept. reaches civil settlement with victims abused by Lawrence Nassar
- Oakland County, Oakland Livingston Human Services Agency launch Oakland County Senior Chore Pilot Program
- U.S. Immigration Court judge to be keynote speaker at law school’s Law Day virtual celebration
headlines National
- New Legalese: You may have heard a deepfake, but what about ‘Twiqbal’?
- From Intake to Outcome: An in-house lawyer’s guide to matter management solutions
- 2 BigLaw firms in merger talks that could produce 1,600-lawyer firm with top 50 revenue
- Send in the paralegals
- Lawyer reprimanded after mistakenly emailing opposing counsel with plan to avoid judge’s call
- ‘I don’t play well’ judge who threatened to track down, jail misbehaving litigant gets tossed from case