Lawmakers, public defenders, experts host hearing on state of public defense in PA

Last year for first time in state history, PA provided state funding for public defenders

Rep. Dan Miller October 21, 2024 | 10:25 AM

To see a slide of photos from the hearing, click on the image above.

PITTSBURGH, Oct. 16 – A little more than a year ago, and for the first time in state history, the Pennsylvania legislature with the help of the Shapiro-Davis administration passed a budget that included $7.5 million in annual state funding for indigent defense (public defender offices).

Until the 2023-24 state budget, Pennsylvania remained one of only a handful of states in the nation that did not provide any state funding for public defender’s offices, instead relying on a patchwork of local support at the county level.

In June this became the subject of a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania against the commonwealth, who alleged the practice left more than 100,000 Pennsylvanians without effective counsel each year. A recent study from the Quattrone Center for the Fair Administration of Justice at the University of Pennsylvania also found that 60 of the commonwealth’s 66 counties have staffing levels below current standards.

On October 16, 2024, lawmakers, public defenders, researchers and others involved in the criminal justice system in Pennsylvania held a public hearing to talk about the state of public defense in the commonwealth, the progress that has been made, and the challenges that still need to be addressed.