"In contrast, the person with adequate resources may secure a lawyer who will make a case for and perhaps obtain release on bail, work closely with the client in conducting an immediate and  thorough investigation, present a vigorous defense at trial, pursue all available avenues of post-conviction relief, and challenge any constitutional violations that occur in prison. Attorney General Janet Reno recently observed that if justice is available only to those who can pay for a lawyer, "that's not justice, and that does not give people confidence in the justice system." Yet little is being done to remedy this denial of equal justice. Indeed, the situation is deteriorating in many parts of the country."-- Janet Reno

"Courtesy of http://www.oocities.org"

The majority of funding of the indigent is at state level.  About 21 states have indigent services readily available, and account for 90% of the funding.  In some cases of large counties in a state they provide for most of their services to their area.  There is little federal funding which makes it hard to do study when there is not a constant variable.  For the states that provide the indigents with services they can do it one of three ways or combinations of them.

1. A public defender is an attorney that is a government employee that provides services on salary bases, or works through non- profit organizations.
2. An assigned counsel is when the attorneys that are part of a private bar associate are chosen to defend the indigent, there may be guidelines for these appointments.
3. A contract attorney or organization of lawyers who have committed to defending the indigent people through the funding source provided by local or state government, that is within their jurisdiction.

“Courtesy of http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov”

Indigent funding is not adequate. It needs to be federalized. If it is federalized then it will be the same throughout all 50 of the United States. If it is the same then the government does not have to worry about indigent funding for the less fortunate.
Back To Main