public-defenders
Pennsylvania must fulfill the constitutional guarantee of adequate representation | Opinion
Pa. is one of only two states in the nation that provide essentially no funding for its public defenders.
Allegheny Co. prosecutors, public defenders demand fair pay as bargaining negotiations break down
Pennsylvania is the only state in the nation that does not allocate any state funds to pay for public defense.
Public defenders should not get fired for doing their jobs | Opinion
On February 26, 2020, Montgomery County Chief Public Defender Dean Beer and Deputy Chief Public Defender Keisha Hudson were unceremoniously and unexpectedly fired. Their termination came on the heels of the two attorneys filing an amicus brief that decried the local practice of setting bail without considering defendants’ ability to pay for their release and without their attorneys present. The brief was mysteriously retracted eight days later.