NACDL News: Court Finds Systemic Violation of Indigent Defendants’ Right to Counsel

On Dec. 5, 2013, in the case of Wilbur v. City of Mount Vernon, et al., one of a number of cases challenging systemic deficiencies in the delivery of indigent defense services across the nation, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington found systemic violations of defendants’ Sixth Amendment right to counsel by the cities of Mount Vernon and Burlington, Washington, and ordered injunctive relief.