Detroit News Editorial: State Must Protect Wrongly Accused

A recent editorial in the Detroit News calls for support of the Michigan Indigent Defense Commission as it has the “potential to solve Michigan’s patchwork indigent defense system”.  The editorial describes the creation of the Commission as well as the topic of separate legislation to compensate innocent people who are wrongfully convicted.  Regarding the MIDC:

The defense commission grew out of an advisory council appointed by Snyder, explains Jonathan Sacks, director of the MIDC. The advisory commission study found that “Michigan’s 83 different counties had more than 83 different systems of indigent defense.” The most significant fact was that only the counties were financing indigent justice. Nationwide, most states provide funds.

Sacks says the defense commission is in the early stages of establishing new standards for indigent justice. It will then work with local officials to draft compliance plans that the state must fund.

The process is lengthy but holds promise.

The standards must be approved by the Michigan Supreme Court and then distributed to every county, which would have 180 days to work with the commission to formulate their specific plans. Sacks says there could be a half dozen or so models for the counties to choose from to meet their needs.

He says he doesn’t expect the high court to review the standards until March or April of 2016.

“We’re trying very hard to be very open and transparent,” says Sacks. “We want to do this through partnership with counties, judges and lawyers.”

To read the full editorial, click on the link above or find it in the Detroit News online.