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The right to counsel in criminal cases is, by now, well established in a series of United States Supreme Court precedents. And yet, local jurisdictions have for too long found themselves under-resourced, and out-gunned in their quest to provide not just constitutionally sufficient and competent representation, but excellent representation—free of charge to indigent criminal defendants. 

Pennsylvania, until as recently as December 2023, was one of only two states in the nation, the other being South Dakota, that provided no state support for local public defenders offices. Through the passage of Act 34 last year this is now changed. Act 34, in addition to providing state funding for local public defenders offices, also established the Indigent Defense Advisory Committee. 

We are joined today by the Chair of that committee, Sara Jacobson, who is also the Executive Director of the Public Defenders Association of Pennsylvania, as well as by a member of the committee and the President of the Public Defenders Association of Pennsylvania, Julia Burke.