Early on, the work stoppage by the private, court-appointed attorneys who represent the state’s poor wreaked havoc on the criminal justice system .

Beginning in late May, dozens of defendants were brought to court without access to lawyers. After a justice of the Supreme Judicial Court weighed in, defendants were released from jail, and hundreds of cases began to be dismissed . Special hearings were held in Middlesex and Suffolk county courtrooms to handle the influx of defendants without counsel, a constitutional right.

The Legislature offered a solution with a modest pay raise — far less than what the attorneys, known as bar advocates, were seeking. But many of the bar advocates continue to hold out for more : Even today, about 2,000 people accused of crimes remain without acce

See Full Page