Browsing by Subject "Legal assistance to the poor"
Now showing items 1-11 of 11
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Apartheid Resurrected: How American Incarceration Policies Wage War On Poor African American Communities
Clearly, determinate sentencing policies which are disproportionate in their application, resulting in increased incarceration of a specific minority group, fail to fulfill the objectives of a fair and just criminal justice ... -
The Death Penalty and Socioeconomic Equity
The case of Larry Osborne raises a number of issues central to the death penalty debate. One of the most glaring issues raised by this case is that of equity in the application of the death penalty. Is a defendant who ... -
Debtors' Prison: Virginia's Poor Source for Funding Appointed Counsel
Virginia statute provides for “repayment of representation costs by convicted persons” as part of the cost of prosecution, which is typically assessed by the court as part of sentencing. Payment of these costs is one of ... -
In the Public or Private Interest? Rethinking the Role of the Legal Aid Lawyer
This essay attempts to examine a theoretical question from a practical standpoint: is it possible, or even desirable, for the legal aid lawyer to pursue a greater mission -- and if so, what should that mission be? It is ... -
Indigent Defense in Virginia: Practical and Empathic Motivations for Reform
In 1999 an estimated $1.2 billion was spent to provide indigent criminal defense in the nation's 100 most populous counties. This $1.2 billion represents an estimated 3% of all local criminal justice expenditures in these ... -
Is This Justice? A Look at the Representation Afforded Poor Defendants in America
This paper will articulate the clear nexus between economic stratification and criminal representation. Part II will demonstrate the disparate effects of our system of punishment on the economically disadvantaged and the ... -
Misdemeanors, Crime, and Police: Broken Windows and America's Poor
This paper studies broken windows policing theory and its impact on the poor. Broken windows policing, through the collateral consequences of its arrests and convictions, further marginalizes an already marginalized poor ... -
Modeling Decision-Making Within the Georgia Justice Project: Demonstrating a Better Way to Support Individuals and Promote Innovative Change
The American criminal justice system is plagued with inequities. People of color and/or low socioeconomic status are at an extreme disadvantage when they are compelled to interact with the justice system. Over 90% of people ... -
Racial and Economic Discrimination in the American Criminal Justice System: An Investigation of and Alternatives to Judicial Sentencing in Criminal Courts in Non-Capital Cases
My experiences as an investigator at the Public Defender Service for DC sparked my interest in this topic of racial and economic discrimination in the criminal justice system. I examine previous research and case studies ... -
Rethinking Professional Responsibility: The Need to Bolster Lawyers' Ethical Obligations in Pursuit of Social Justice
In this Note, I argue that the obligations on the legal profession of service to the poor "both through pro bono work and indigent defense" must be bolstered and refined. Although existing methods of pro bono service are ... -
Troubled Wake Behind a Pretty Boat: The Aftermath of Gideon v. Wainwright
The arguments for ensuring that all people, regardless of income level, receive effective assistance of counsel bear tremendous moral weight. The Supreme Court of the United State recognized as much in its historic ruling ...