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Virginia Indigent Defense System Failing
Report concludes state is failing miserably in providing adequate representation to indigents
Washington, DC--A study of Virginia's indigent defense system released in February, 2004, concludes that the state is still failing miserably in providing constitutionally-adequate representation in criminal cases to persons who cannot afford it. The report, "A Comprehensive Review of Indigent Defense in Virginia," was prepared by The Spangenberg Group and sponsored by the ABA's Standing Committee on Legal Aid and Indigent Defendants, Covington & Burling, and the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.
"The Spangenberg Report documents what is painfully obvious - that Virginia fails to protect its innocent citizens from wrongful conviction," said Steve Benjamin, president of the Virginia Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. "For decades, Virginia has refused to honor its constitutional duty to provide legal representation to citizens who are accused of a crime, but who cannot afford the high cost of their own private attorney. This failure means that innocent people go to prison, while guilty criminals remain free." Benjamin also serves on NACDL's Board of Directors and is a co-chair of the NACDL Indigent Defense Committee. Read More
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National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL)
1660 L St., NW, 12th Floor, Washington, DC 20036
(202) 872-8600 • Fax (202) 872-8690 •
assist@nacdl.org
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