The Board of Directors of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers(NACDL) hereby resolves as follows:
WHEREAS an evaluation commissioned by the NACDL reveals that the Venango County, PA, Indigent Defense System is understaffed and seriously lacks necessary resources for minimally providing adequate representation to the indigent persons accused of crime;
WHEREAS NACDL has partnered with the National and Pittsburgh offices of the American Civil Liberties Union to take measures to improvethe indigent defense system in Venango County; and
WHEREAS NACDL is committed to furthering indigent defense systems which ensure quality representation of all accused individuals;
IT IS HEREBY RESOLVED that the Indigent Defense Committee is authorized to initiate or support litigation as a method of improving the quality of the defense system in Venango County, Pennsylvania.
Marvin Schechter
Co-Chair
Indigent Defense Committee
Santa Fe, New Mexico
