indigent
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Colorado Supreme Court rules poor defendants have no right to keep assigned lawyer
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There is no constitutional right for indigent criminal defendants to go to trial with their preferred public defender, even though defendants who are wealthy enough to hire an attorney do enjoy that ability, a majority of the Colorado Supreme Court ruled on Monday. In a pair of 6-1 decisions, the Supreme Court determined that poor…
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State Supreme Court broadens eligibility for court-appointed counsel
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Warning that a contrary decision would risk a constitutional violation, the Colorado Supreme Court ruled 5-2 that defendants are entitled to an appointed attorney when they personally do not have access to sufficient funds – even if they live with people who do. The Court’s majority reversed an Arapahoe County Court judge who found Nicholas Feyd…
