• Breaking News and Updates
• Clinton County Settles Strip-Search Lawsuit; Victims Being Sought, Press Republican (Clinton County), June 3, 2009. (See Prisoners’ Rights for more information.)
• Immigrants Can Reopen Deportation Cases If Effective Counsel Is Denied, AG Holder Rules, ABA Journal Law News Now (US), June 3, 2009. (See Defense News for more information.)
• New Entry In Porn-Rape Debate, In the News (US), June 3, 2009. (See Megan’s Law for more information.)
• Decades-Old Precedent On Right To Counsel Is Upset, New York Law Journal (US), May 27, 2009. (See Courts Federal for more information.)

Public Defense Act of 2009 (A.8793)

Legislation entitled the Public Defense Act of 2009 has been introduced in the Assembly. Read A.8793 here (102K PDF). It caps county fiscal liability for public defense services and establishes the Public Defense Commission to begin administering public defense services in New York State in 2012. The bill is moving though the Assembly with 78 Assembly members signed on. It was voted out of the Judiciary Committee on June 15th and out of the Codes Committee on June 16th. NYSDA has submitted a memorandum in support. Read it here (200K PDF). Further information on efforts to secure passage of A.8793 is available on the Campaign for an Independent Public Defense Commission website. 

Rockefeller Drug Law Reform Legislation

On April 7th, the drug law reform bill (S.56-B/A.156-B) was signed into law (Chapter 56 of the Laws of 2009), as part of the budget legislation for 2009-2010. For more information, see Rockefeller Drug Law Reform Bill Summary (NYSDA April, 8, 2009)(124K PDF) and 2009 Rockefeller Drug Law Reform Sentencing Chart (CCA).

NYSDA Issues Report on ILSF Maintenance of Effort Provisions

Read the Backup Center’s “Analysis of the Indigent Legal Services Fund Maintenance of Effort Provisions” (March 2009) (2.2 MB PDF) here.
 

Backup Center Assistance

Public defense lawyers who need information or assistance can contact the Backup Center through our online Request Form.