Should The Poor Have Unequal Access To Justice?
One of the many ways that the poor have unequal access to justice is not being able to afford their own attorneys. Court appointed attorneys are usually very young, inexperienced, and have massive workloads. Court appointed attorneys cannot defend a client in the same manner as a lawyer that cost $200 an hour. Most court appointed attorneys don’t get to meet with their clients often, usually meeting only a few times before the trial. Because the court appointed attorneys don’t get to meet with their clients as much as a paid lawyer, the defendant doesn’t always get the best representation. Also due to the lack of meeting time, court appointed attorneys are more likely to push for a plea deal than to take the case to trial.
Plea deals are also another way that the poor have unequal access to justice. Because court appointed attorneys have massive workloads and little time to meet with their clients, most of their cases end with a plea deal. A plea deal, to me, is …show more content…
The first thing that I don’t understand about bonds, is why are defendants even jailed before their trial and conviction? To be imprisoned aren’t you supposed to be found guilty and then sentenced? I can see why flight risks and repeat offenders would be jailed before trial, but why anyone else? When the poor cannot afford their bond, they will sit in jail for months, sometimes even longer than the max sentence for the crime they committed, before ever going to trial or being sentenced; Even if they are innocent! To charge someone to stay out of jail when they have not been found guilty makes no sense to me. Also setting in jail for months waiting on your trial is a clear violation of due process. To me, going to jail before you have been tried and convicted, innocent or guilty, is absurd. To be put in prison you need to have a trial by jury and to be found guilty without a reasonable
Plea deals are also another way that the poor have unequal access to justice. Because court appointed attorneys have massive workloads and little time to meet with their clients, most of their cases end with a plea deal. A plea deal, to me, is …show more content…
The first thing that I don’t understand about bonds, is why are defendants even jailed before their trial and conviction? To be imprisoned aren’t you supposed to be found guilty and then sentenced? I can see why flight risks and repeat offenders would be jailed before trial, but why anyone else? When the poor cannot afford their bond, they will sit in jail for months, sometimes even longer than the max sentence for the crime they committed, before ever going to trial or being sentenced; Even if they are innocent! To charge someone to stay out of jail when they have not been found guilty makes no sense to me. Also setting in jail for months waiting on your trial is a clear violation of due process. To me, going to jail before you have been tried and convicted, innocent or guilty, is absurd. To be put in prison you need to have a trial by jury and to be found guilty without a reasonable