Justice: Indigent defendants can sue

The U.S. Justice Department is supporting the right of criminal defendants to sue Idaho over inadequate public defense in a case that involves two North Idaho prosecutions. Attorney General Loretta Lynch filed a brief this week supporting the ability of indigent defendants to sue over violations of their constitutional right to legal representation. “The right to adequate counsel is an essential safeguard of our commitment to equal justice – and it is the responsibility of the states to protect that right, to uphold that principle, and to ensure that every defendant has access to competent counsel,” Lynch said in a news release Thursday.

The “friend of the court” brief was filed Wednesday in a class-action lawsuit by the American Civil Liberties Union on behalf of four Idaho residents, including two in North Idaho, who claim the state has failed to provide effective counsel to defendants who cannot afford to hire lawyers/ Scott Maben , SR. More here .