NATIONAL RIGHT-TO-COUNSEL STANDARDS
The right to an attorney is guaranteed by the Constitution — but only on paper. In reality, millions of low-income Americans face the justice system alone because public defender systems are overwhelmed, underfunded, or nonexistent in practice. A right without resources is not a right — it’s a slogan.
THE PROBLEM
Public defenders in many jurisdictions carry hundreds of cases at once, far beyond ethical capacity.
Poor defendants often never meet their attorney until moments before court, if at all.
People plead guilty not because they are guilty, but because they don’t believe they have a real defense.
Meanwhile, wealth buys time, counsel, and strategy, while poverty buys handcuffs.
We don’t have a justice system — we have a two-tier legal access system, and that makes justice optional.
OUR PLAN TO GUARANTEE REAL LEGAL REPRESENTATION
We will establish federal right-to-counsel standards, tied to funding and accountability:
Parity Funding Requirement — Public defender budgets must match prosecution budgets dollar-for-dollar where federal funding is involved.
Workload Caps — Set legal limits on number of active cases per defender to prevent assembly-line justice.
Mandatory Early Representation — Defendants must be assigned counsel immediately after arrest, not after charges are formalized.
Access to Investigators & Experts — Public defenders must have access to the same forensic and investigative tools as prosecutors.
National Defender Training & Certification Program — Ongoing skills training, trauma-informed procedures, and incentives for career retention.
WHY IT MATTERS
Justice doesn’t start in the courtroom — it starts when someone stands beside you and says, “You have rights, and I’m here to fight for you.”
A courtroom without equal representation isn’t justice — it’s performance.
“A right you can’t afford to use is not a right — it’s theater.”