About this project: Across the West, public defense systems face crushing caseloads, historic underfunding, structural problems and severe staffing shortages, imperiling criminal defendants’ lives and in many cases denying them their constitutional right to counsel.
Defendants have lost jobs and homes, been pressured to plead guilty and been denied the benefit of exonerating evidence. People accused in more than 100,000 misdemeanors each year go to jail without ever talking to a lawyer.
Lee Enterprises’ West region Public Service Journalism team and local reporters attended more than a dozen court hearings and interviewed more than 25 defendants, 40 attorneys and 25 experts to reveal public defense in many western states is broken.
Explore Broken Defense:
About this story: Public defenders have so many cases they struggle to provide effective representation, according to a Lee Enterprises investigation. Some regions have no attorneys at all. Failing public defense systems across the West routinely violate the Sixth Amendment right to effective counsel.
About this story: People accused in more than 100,000 misdemeanors each year go to jail without talking to a lawyer. The practice threatens people's constitutional right to counsel.
About this story: Staff shortages and decades of underfunding have created public defense systems crises across the West. Public defenders say they’re unable to serve clients effectively as they grapple with crushing caseloads, few resources, burnout, student debt and low pay.
About this story: Judges or elected officials in many counties nationwide have full oversight over public defense, a structure that can pressure public defenders to avoid making motions that may agitate a judge.
About this story: Public defense across the West suffers deep-rooted, decades-old problems. States have two solutions to consider: dole out more cash or shrink the criminal justice system.
About this story: Experts say Arizona's Pima County soon won’t have enough public defenders to handle the cases being filed. “We’re hitting a crisis point,” one public defender said.
About this story: The Montana Office of the Public Defender is coming off one of its most tumultuous years since the agency was concentrated from county offices into an obligation of the state.
Lee Enterprises Investigative Reporter Emily Hamer may be reached at emily.hamer@lee.net. Arizona Daily Star Reporter Caitlin Schmidt may be reached a cshmidt@tucson.com and Montana State News Bureau Reporter Seaborn Larsen may be reached at seaborn.larsen@lee.net.
