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ACLU Idaho’s Public Defender Lawsuit Goes Class Action

Posted on January 24, 2018

Boise (670 KBOI) – The ACLU of Idaho has been given the go-ahead to pursue their lawsuit against the state, regarding the public defender system.

The suit was filed in 2015, alleging the state doesn’t adequately fund and support the legal defender program, which has resulted in overworked attorneys and unprotected defendants, says ACLU Idaho legal Director Ritchie Eppink.

“When an attorney doesn’t have the time and resources necessary to properly represent their clients, the defendant has little chance of benefiting from a rigorous defense, let alone getting a fair trial,” said Eppink

Eppink says the State and US Constitutions guarantee defendants a fair, speedy and impartial trial, and the legislature needs to ensure there are enough public defenders to handle all the cases in the system.

Anyone who wants more information about the class action suit should contact the ACLU of Idaho.

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