The right to a lawyer for people charged with crimes, even if they can't afford lawyers, is assured by the sixth amendment to the U.S. Constitution. But the quality of that free legal representation can vary from state to state.
And in Oregon, says the Sixth Amendment Center, the system has some problems.
Among them: lack of transparency, complexity of bureaucracy, and disincentives for lawyers to provide the best representation. SAC reps join us to lay out the findings in a recent report.