Funding Lapse Hurts Black, Brown Defendants

This post was originally published on Defender Network

(WIB) – A little-known but vital program ensuring that low-income defendants receive legal representation has ground to a halt — and experts say the consequences could devastate Black and Brown communities already facing inequities in the criminal justice system.

The Criminal Justice Act (CJA), signed into law in 1964, guarantees that people accused of federal crimes who cannot afford an attorney are provided one. But federal funding for the program has now lapsed, leaving thousands of defendants without representation.

“It’s a constitutional crisis,” said one Harris County defense attorney, who didn’t want to be identified and now faces a caseload so heavy it’s impossible to take on new clients. “Ninety percent of federal defendant