NACDL - Tucker v. Idaho

Tucker v. Idaho

Brief of Amici Curiae National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and Idaho Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers in Support of Plaintiffs-Appellants.

Tucker v. Idaho

Brief Details

Case No.: 43922
Brief Filed: May 12, 2016
Jurisdiction: Supreme Court of the State of Idaho

Key Topics in the Brief

Public Defense | Right to Counsel | Sixth Amendment | Fourteenth Amendment | Systemic Constitutional Violations | Initial Appearance | Excessive Caseloads | Prolonged Detention | Strickland

Briefs

Tucker-v-Idaho-Amicus.pdf

Prior Decision

Appeal from the District Court of the Fourth Judicial District for Ada County, Case No. CV-OC-2015-10240 (The Honorable Samuel A. Hoagland, District Judge, presiding).

Argument(s)

The violations alleged by the plaintiffs cause ongoing and cognizable harm. The district court applied the wrong legal framework to the plaintiffs' claims. A criminal defendant has a fundamental right to counsel at any "critical stage" of the proceedings against him. The Sixth Amendment can also be violated if the attorney's performance fails to meet constitutional standards. Federal and state courts addressing claims for prospective relief, like the plaintiffs' claims here, have rejected application of the Strickland standard.