It’s National Public Defense Day! At Justice Forward Virginia we’ve acknowledged the occasion like the true public defenders we are—by being way too busy to even notice until now. Happy day to our friends and colleagues! #publicdefenders

#PublicDefenders are chronically overworked in the US, as the government has never adequately funded them as required by law. On #ThisDayInHistory in 1963 the #SCOTUS ruled that states have a constitutional obligation to provide counsel to those who cannot afford hiring a lawyer.

Happy National Public Defender Day!

They are very much unsung heroes of our justice system. The 2 years I spent doing it was the hardest 2 years of my career so far. They don’t do it for money or clout. They do it because EVERYONE deserves the right to counsel.

#clarencegideon #publicdefenders

Original post on techhub.social

#USpol #HotTake:
If you cannot keep enough #PublicDefenders to run your #Legal system, maybe you should have less #laws that you #prosecute as #criminal offenses.

...just my opinion though. :blobcoffeeraccoon:

Laws cost resources y'all. See #libertarian / #minarchist / #anarchist principles or […]

Shortage of Public Defenders Results in Hundreds of Criminal Case Dismissals in Oregon and Across the U.S. Oregon's Supreme Court recently ruled that more than 1,400 criminal cases must be dismissed due to a severe shortage of public defenders. This issue isn't isolated to Oregon; across the U.S., many states face similar shortages. For example, Pennsylvania is short by about 30% of the public defenders it needs, New Mexico needs 67% more, and Kansas requires nearly three times as many. The problem of not having enough defense attorneys affects not only the defendants but the entire criminal justice system, leading to longer jail times, wrongful convictions, delays in prosecuting cases, and rising costs. The Sixth Amendment guarantees the right to an attorney, and the U.S. Supreme Court's 1963 Gideon v. Wainwright decision reinforced this. However, the pool of attorneys available to fulfill this role is shrinking, especially in rural areas. Financial incentives like loan forgiveness are one potential solution, but they are not enough. Long-term solutions may involve building better recruitment pipelines starting in high school and continuing through law school, particularly in underserved regions. A sustained, coordinated investment in public defense is needed to protect constitutional rights and ensure the justice system functions properly.

Shortage of Public Defenders Results in Hundreds of Criminal Case Dismissals in Oregon and Across the U.S.

🤖 IA: It's not clickbait ✅
👥 Usuarios: It's not clickbait ✅

#publicdefenders #criminaljustice #attorneys

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#Justice #PublicDefenders
youtube.com/shorts/13jkw...

Years of underfunding have left public defense systems stretched beyond capacity, and SF is next in line. When prosecutors have the resources they need but #publicdefenders are buried in cases, the scales of justice are no longer balanced.
www.dailyjournal.com/article/3882...

Oregon’s Supreme Court dismissed 1,400+ cases because the state failed to provide #publicdefenders. The underfunding of public defense undermines the justice system and is a blatant violation of people’s constitutional right to an attorney.

www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...

Image of MDefenders meeting on public defender ethics

The #MDefenders program @umichlaw.bsky.social started this semester with a discussion abt public defender ethics & how to stand up for clients & withstand pressure from courts to compromise on duty of loyalty to clients and duty to zealously advocate for clients. #PublicDefenders #indigentdefense

Public defenders play a critical role in the justice system, representing individuals who cannot afford private counsel.

#PublicDefenders #BlackVoices #BlackFacts #LegalRepresentation #BlackPeople #BlackLawyer #BlackAttorney

Public defenders are unsung heroes defending our democracy and winning. In Los Angeles, federal public defenders have an undefeated win streak against Bill Essayli, the Trump lackey prosecuting ICE pr... TikTok video by Liz Oyer

www.tiktok.com/t/ZP899FmcQ/ #publicdefenders

MDefenders | University of Michigan Law School MDefenders is a faculty-sponsored student organization as well as a network of courses, programming, and resources that support public defense education at Michigan Law and beyond. Founded in 2014, MD...

We spent the past week sharing MDefenders 5 components. We are excited to connect with you and strengthen a national network of lawyers committed to high-quality public defense #indigentdefense #publicdefenders #mdefenders #umichlaw michigan.law.umich.edu/mdefenders

Why the Public Defender's Office can't take all the felony cases the Superior Court is forcing on us - 48 hills The mayor's anti-crime agenda has a cost—and the indigent clients of Public Defender Mano Raju shouldn't be paying it

"San Francisco approved $92 million for police #overtime. Meanwhile, the #PublicDefenders office received no new felony attorney positions" 48hills.org/2026/01/why-...

I want to go on record as of today, saying thank goodness there are lawyers working so hard to protect the innocent—us!! Thank you, @marcelias.bsky.social #publicdefenders

LA’s #publicdefenders came together for a well-deserved night of celebration and connection. We’re grateful for the incredible members of Local 148 and proud to serve this amazing community of 10 million Angelenos!

Where are my #PublicDefenders of the desert?
In the rain? In the snow?
Where are my Public Defenders on the road?
On a subway? On the go?
Where are the defenders of the Rockies?
Of the plains? Of the Great Lakes?
How about "Public Defender in The Making"!
Change the template; Raise the stakes.

My favorite part of the video that SHOULD hit home for most people, even if you are discounting the security concerns #PublicDefenders

C'mon now! #Chicago #SouthSide #SouthSideChi #CookCounty #PublicDefenders

Public Defenders Will Save Us With the rule of law in our country under siege, public defenders are uniquely equipped to fight back. (Excerpts from the 2025 David H. Bodiker Lecture on Criminal Justice.)

www.lawyeroyer.com/p/public-def...

#publicdefenders #publicdefendersofbluesky

#SixthAmendment #RightToCounsel #IndigentDefense #JusticeForAll #CJA #PublicDefenders #Constitution

#publicdefenders

#publicdefenders

We have extended the deadline for #publicdefenders to sign up for the National Public Defense Well-Being Study! 📣 Check out our website in our bio for more info and to register

We are so grateful to Raj Jayadev, author of Protect Your People: How Ordinary Families Are Using Participatory Defense to Challenge Mass Incarceration, for sharing his beautiful spirit and wisdom with our community at Summit! #TGCSummit2025 #SummitBeehives #ProtectYourPeople #PublicDefenders

Hurricane Katrina helped change New Orleans' public defender system : Consider This from NPR In 2006, Ari Shapiro reported on how Hurricane Katrina made an already broken public defender system in New Orleans worse. The court system collapsed in the aftermath of the storm.Katrina caused horri...

@npr.org had some good episodes for #GreySky last week. #DisasterScience #NewOrleans #PublicDefenders #Systems #Podcasts #ConsiderThis

A photo of a picket line

Solidarity with striking public defenders in NYC! They’re demanding a more manageable case load and pushing back against salary freezes. ✊ #UAW #NYLAG #publicdefenders

*fund our #publicdefenders 😊

We need to find our #publicdefenders
#mapoli Do Better.
Thank you @maradolan.bsky.social for speaking up!

California is failing to provide enough investigators for #publicdefenders. Nearly half of counties have none at all! This puts innocent people at risk and stacks the system against those with fewer resources. Real justice needs real resources.

calmatters.org/investigatio...

Fighting for fairness: Public defender groups call for funding for indigent defense cases - Local News Matters DUE PROCESS UNDER THE LAW is not the same for everyone. That was the message delivered in a public webinar this week, where public defenders spoke in

#wrencollective #publicdefenders #justice #jurisprudence localnewsmatters.org/2025/05/09/f...