Supreme Court Declines to Hear Case on Right to Consistent Legal Representation for Low-Income Defendants
Washington, D.C. — The U.S. Supreme Court dismissed an appeal that could have established whether defendants in criminal trials have a constitutional right to be represented by their initial court-appointed attorney throughout their case. This decision maintains the status quo where continuity of counsel is not guaranteed under the U.S. Constitution for indigent defendants. The case involved Williams Davis, a Colorado man who was convicted in 2017 of reckless driving and eluding police. Davis argued his rights were violated when he had to go to trial with a substitute attorney after his original court-appointed lawyer … Read more