Did you ever fight the law? Did the law win? 🥴🚨 Welp, if you're in Pennsylvania, the state's about to get its very first funding for public defense.
A committee still needs to determine how to spend the money. 💸 Although the funding is a step in the right direction, it's getting mixed reviews.
Here’s Five Fast Facts on PA's public defense funding:
- 🧑⚖️ Lawyer Up - Back in December, $7.5 million in funding for criminal defense for those who can't afford a lawyer was approved by the PA state legislature. Up until now, counties footed the bill without any assistance from the state.
- ⬇️ Lower Level - In his initial budget, Governor Shapiro proposed $10 million to fund public defense, but it was decreased after legislature negotiations.
- ⚖️ Brotherly Law - Each PA county still has to supplement the state-provided money with their own, which can vary greatly depending on location. Currently, Philadelphia County has the most extensive public defense services.
- 😐 Good, Not Great - Even though this new approval is a big step, Pennsylvania is still ranked among the states with the lowest public defense funding. The defense cost-per-capita number will only rise a little bit from $9.67 to $10.25. The national average is $19.67.
- 📜 Let's Get Constitutional - According to the 6th and 14th Amendments, anyone accused of a crime must have access to an attorney to help them defend themselves. This right has been in place for the last 60 years.
🔥Bottom line: Presently, the Keystone state ranks 45th in defense funding. Who spends less per capita? Hawaii, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Texas. In other PA money news, a recent report says the state owes its school districts a cool $5 billion. Wanna learn more? Click here.
Do you think PA provides enough funding for public defense?
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