Guaranteeing representation at first Court appearances may be better for defendants, and cheaper for local governments

"If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed for you." It's a familiar phrase, but what does "appointed" really mean? In many jurisdictions in the United States, even after a judge appoints counsel for you, you may spend days or weeks in jail before you actually meet your lawyer. In new research, Alissa Pollitz Worden, Kirstin Morgan, Reveka Shteynberg and Andrew Davies study New York State-funded programs which ensure lawyers are present at defendants’ first court appearances (which is when judges make bail and pretrial detention decisions). They find that the presence of these lawyers may reduce the numbers of people jailed pretrial in misdemeanor cases. This in turn may mean lower incarceration costs for local governments and reduce the social harm of pretrial detention for defendants.