Comments to the Maine Legislative Judiciary Committee on Standards for Appointed Counsel (Mar 2025)

On behalf of NACDL, I write to express our opposition to LD 1101 which proposes changes that would undermine independence, reverse the recent advances Maine has made to improve its public defense delivery system, and fails to address the factors at the heart of the state’s current challenges in meeting the constitution’s right to counsel. Though we recognize the urgent need to address the backlog of cases and ensure access to legal representation, lowering standards for public defenders and reversion to judicial appointments of counsel are not the solution. 

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