Hundreds Of Criminal Cases Dismissed In Massachusetts As Lawyers Protest
Story by Kate Anderson • 19h
Over 500 criminal cases have been thrown out in Massachusetts amid an ongoing pay dispute between the state and defense attorneys, according to a report.
Chelsea District Court and municipal courts in Boston have dismissed 206 cases in Suffolk County and 369 cases in Middlesex County, including allegations of armed robbery and drug possession, according to WCVB 5. Lawyers in the state are currently paid $65 an hour to serve as bar advocates for district court cases and many have refused to take on more until the pay rate increases to $100 per hour, according to The New York Times.
The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court responded to the shortage by authorizing the “Lavallee Protocol,” which requires defendants to be released after going seven days without counsel and dismissal of criminal cases if a defense attorney has not been appointed after 45 days, WCVB 5 reported. Prosecutors can bring back charges against those whose cases are dismissed at a later date.
In Massachusetts, private attorneys handle 80% of cases where the defendant can’t afford legal representation, according to the Times. Attorneys in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont are paid $150, $125 and $100 respectively.
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