We applaud the U.S. District Court for its ruling recognizing the important claims against the severely underfunded Missouri Public Defender System.
“For decades, the Missouri State Public Defender has been underfunded, understaffed, and overworked,” said Tony Rothert, legal director of the ACLU of Missouri. “The state’s inability to provide adequate legal representation affects the entire criminal justice system – allowing Missourians to sit in jail for far too long or plea to charges without a trial because they need to get back to their lives and their families.”
In March, The American Civil Liberties Union, the ACLU of Missouri, the MacArthur Justice Center at St. Louis, and Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe filed a class-action lawsuit against the Missouri State Public Defender to balance the scales of justice and uphold the constitution.