Prosecution of the Poor Can Be Postponed
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From Times Wire Reports
The state Supreme Court ruled in Baton Rouge that judges can halt prosecution of poor defendants until money is available to pay for their lawyers.
The high court’s ruling, which blamed the lack of adequate funds on the Legislature, said a judge overseeing the prosecution of an indigent defendant should appoint a lawyer for him when he first appeared in court.
The appointed lawyer may then file a motion to determine if there is money to pay him. If not, the case may be halted until funding is available.
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