What is the Current State of New York State’s Indigent Defense System and How Can the Criminal Justice System Better Protect the Right to Counsel?

Abstract

This Senior Honors Thesis examines the current state of indigent defense and how the criminal justice system can better protect the right to counsel for indigent defendants. The paper begins by analyzing factors that may impact indigent defense systems throughout the United States as a whole and how these factors may impact outcomes for defendants. Then, the paper's focus shifts to New York State specifically and discusses issues specific to the state. Qualitative research from interviews with public defenders and assigned counsel attorneys from various New York State counties is analyzed alongside quantitative data from each county. The end of the thesis provides an answer to the question "how can the criminal justice system better protect the right to counsel?" based on the research presented throughout the paper.