Civil Rights Attorneys Sue Oregon, Again, Over Public Defense Failures
As of Oct. 19, roughly 831 people in Oregon were facing criminal charges without attorneys, 45 of whom are still in custody.
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After the original lawsuit leveled against Oregon over its failure to provide court-appointed attorneys to hundreds of people facing criminal charges was thrown out, civil rights attorneys are again suing the state on behalf of four defendants charged with crimes who cannot afford an attorney, but that the court is required to provide under the Constitution, reports Conrad Wilson for OPB.
As of Oct.19, roughly 831 people in Oregon were facing criminal charges without attorneys, 45 of whom are still in custody. The current lawsuit states that despite the four asking for public defenders to handle their cases, Oregon did not appoint attorneys for any of them. The lawsuit further charges that because the four people were denied their right to a state-appointed attorney they should be given lawyers immediately or have their cases dismissed. The original lawsuit was dismissed after a judge ruled that she didn’t have jurisdiction to even hear the case, let alone determine it was a class action. She was also unwilling to make a declaration that the defendants’ rights were being violated.
