If you’re accused of a crime, having the right to an attorney - regardless of ability to pay - is one of your fundamental constitutional due process rights in the U.S. At least in theory. In reality, Oregon - like many states around the country - has long suffered from a shortage of defense attorneys. In 2018 the shortage had become so severe that the nonpartisan nonprofit Sixth Amendment Center, found the state’s system so flawed it could not provide citizens with this fundamental right. Oregon has taken steps to restructure public defense and provide more funding for more public defenders, but the shortage remains. We talk about what state lawmakers are currently considering and more with Carl MacPherson, the executive director of Metropolitan Public Defender, and Kevin Barton, district attorney for Washington County.
Think Out Loud