Survey: Poor Don’t Get Adequate Defense in Michigan Courts

The Detroit Free Press is reporting on the findings of a recent Michigan Indigent Defense Commission Survey:

The report by the Michigan Indigent Defense Commission is the first comprehensive statewide survey on the defense of poor people, said the commission. It found wide variations in how indigent people are represented across the state, with only 6%  of district courts requiring an attorney at both the bail hearing and at arraignment. And only 15% have guidelines for continuing legal education standards for attorneys appointed to represent the needy.

The Detroit Free Press article quotes from Commissioners Frank Eaman, Brandy Robinson and William Swor about the work of the MIDC.

Read the entire article on the Detroit Free Press website.