[New York] Hurrell-Harring v. New York – U.S. Statement of Interest 

On August 14, 2013, the U.S. Department of Justice filed a Statement of Interest in a federal class action lawsuit on the constructive denial of counsel in criminal proceedings within five counties in New York.

The DOJ asserted, “The provision of defense services is a multifaceted and complicated task. To guide the defense function, the ABA and NJDC have promulgated national standards to ensure that defenders are able to establish meaningful attorney-client relationships and provide the constitutionally required services of counsel. These standards emphasize the structural supports required to ensure that defenders can perform their duties. They include an independent defense function, early appointment, adequate staffing, funding for necessary services (e.g., investigation, retention of experts, and administrative staff), workload controls, training, legal research resources, and oversight connected to practice standards.”