NCJ Number
137564
Date Published
1992
Length
128 pages
Annotation
This study examines the effectiveness of indigent criminal defense systems in nine courts, including public defender, assigned counsel, and contract attorney arrangements.
Abstract
The report compares indigent defense and privately retained counsel in terms of timeliness and performance and describes the cost and management of indigent defense across the jurisdictions. The study found that counsel for indigent defendants resolved their cases more expeditiously than privately retained counsel. They come closer, for example, to meeting the American Bar Association's Time Standards. Timeliness is achieved by attorneys for indigents without compromising the defendants' interests. Indigent defense counsel gain as many favorable outcomes (e.g., acquittals, charge reductions) for their clients as privately retained counsel gain for their clients. Also, indigent defense counsel are as experienced as prosecutors. There is an approximation of parity in the compensation of indigent defense counsel and prosecutors. There are similarities in the resources available for staff support and training; however, indigent defense counsel have limited funds for expert witnesses and investigators. The study indicates that effective representation exists across a wide range of structural arrangements and contexts, which means that judges, attorneys, and policymakers can design sound indigent defense systems to fit their own circumstances. 35 tables and appended profiles of the nine research sites