Many Americans can recite the two-sentence phrase verbatim, thanks to a true crime flick or a legal procedural TV show. “You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided to you.”
The reality is a little more complicated. State-funded, court-appointed public defenders who represent low-income defendants in criminal cases are often underpaid and “dangerously” overworked. Despite the fact that in small- to mid-sized jurisdictions, public defenders are supplemented by private panel attorneys selected to represent an indigent client, 41% of U.S. counties are considered legal deserts, with less than one attorney per 1,000 residents. Inadequate access to representation causes prolonged pretrial detention and increases the likelihood of wrongful convictions and procedural errors.