In the only state with no public defenders, people charged with murder and other serious crimes can get assigned attorneys who are legally ineligible to take on their cases. The state claims it was unaware.
Agnel Philip
Agnel Philip is a data reporter for ProPublica's Local Reporting Network. He previously worked as a data reporter at The Arizona Republic where he investigated tribal casinos, pedestrian safety and consumer issues. He studied journalism and economics at Arizona State University.
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A low bar for public defense
Maine is the only state in the country with no public defender system. A nine-month investigation by The Maine Monitor and ProPublica found that legal services for the poor are left to private attorneys, who face disproportionately high amounts of discipline and an office that doesn’t supervise them.
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