right to counsel

This is an academic research project that aims to uncover and document why misdemeanor defendants proceed without counsel. To understand the phenomena of misdemeanor defendants proceeding without counsel, researchers will observe the four county criminal courts in Osceola County, Florida.

The JFA Team and the Neighborhood Defender Services of Detroit will work towards increasing the use of experts and investigators by court-appointed counsel in Wayne County, Michigan.

This subgrantee seeks assistance in developing a two-day training aimed at honing criminal defense skill as well as fostering a sense of community among defenders. This reporting period we surveyed defense lawyers across the state to determine the best topics and format for delivering training. We also did outreach to the University of North Dakota Law in order to extend the training to include law students to create a pipeline to the defender community.

PDC is seeking assistance in developing best practices around vertical representation (continuous representation for the life of the case). PDC would like to determine best ways to collect data and track vertical representation across the state, learn what areas need to be improved, and educate stakeholders on the benefits of successful vertical representation practices.

Provide technical training assistance to develop a mission, vision, and values for this new office including connecting subgrantee with mentors, field experts, and other resources aimed at creating a holistic defense.
January - June 2022: Conducted monthly meetings and set a conference date of November 17-19, 2022. Contracted with National Association for Public Defense to assist in developing an agenda, recruit speakers, and content.

Felony deenders have not had an opportunity to hone their core trial skills and due to ongoing closures of courts, more experienced attorneys need refreshers on critical trial skills. This training will focus on developing a theory of the case, how to impeach witnesses, opening and closing, and voir dire.

The JFA Team and the Neighborhood Defender Services of Detroit will work towards increasing the use of experts and investigators by court-appointed counsel in Wayne County, Michigan.

In collaboration with the Justice Programs Office at American University and in furtherance of the goals of the BJA-led Right to Counsel National Campaign, NACDL will help further the goals of the R2C initiative by creating at least one short video to highlight the importance of the right to counsel. The video was posted on social media.

In collaboration with the Justice Programs Office at American University and in furtherance of the goals of the BJA-led Right to Counsel National Campaign, NACDL will help further the goals of the R2C initiative by creating "memes", more accurately described as slides posted on social media emphasizing points of the rights of counsel.

Last year, NACDL released its first report on South Carolina's summary courts, Summary Injustice: A Look at Constitutional Deficiencies in South Carolina's Summary Courts. This first report was a joint project with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the ACLU of South Carolina. Then, earlier this year, NACDL released its second report on South Carolina's summary courts, Rush to Judgment: How South Carolina's Summary Courts Fail to Protect Constitutional Rights.