Task Force to Study the Laws and Policies Relating to Representation of Indigent Criminal Defendants by the Office of the Public Defender: 2012 Interim Report (2012)

ABSTRACT & CITATION

In 2012, Maryland’s General Assembly passed two bills that amended its Public Defender Act. The bills made various changes to Maryland’s pretrial practice, most significantly, adding the requirement that attorneys from the Office of the Public Defender represent indigent defendants at bail hearings. The bills also established a Task Force to Study the Laws and Policies Relating to Representation of Indigent Criminal Defendants by the Office of the Public Defender. This is the Task Force’s brief interim report from November 2012. The report outlines the makeup of the Task Force (a variety of criminal justice system stakeholders) and its mission (especially to study costs of improving indigent defense and pretrial release). There is a summary of the statements made by each member of the Task Force at its first meeting, as well as a list of its subcommittees.

Maryland., Pilgrim, S. M., Rossmark, C. E., Turner, C. K., & Maryland. (2012). Task Force to Study the Laws and Policies Relating to Representation of Indigent Criminal Defendants by the Office of the Public Defender: 2012 Interim Report. Annapolis, MD: Dept. of Legislative Services, Office of Policy Analysis.