A commission set up by Gov. Rick Snyder to study ways to improve legal representation for low-income residents charged with a crime is about to complete its work.
The Indigent Defense Advisory Commission is scheduled to hold
its final meeting Friday at Cooley Law School. It's expected to ratify and release its recommendations then.
Snyder charged the commission's 14 members with suggesting
improvements that will lead to cost-effective, qualified legal counsel provided in a consistent manner around the state.
Michigan has one of the nation's stingiest and most fragmented
public defense systems. Courts in each county set their own pay
rates and hiring systems for public defenders.
The Michigan Campaign for Justice has been pushing for nearly
four years to improve Michigan's public defense system
