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Proclaiming and designating the day of March 18, 2017 as "National Public Defense Day", in honor of the 54th Anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Gideon v. Wainwright, and in recognition of the dedication and commitment of public defenders who seek justice for our indigent populations across the country.
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WHEREAS, On March 18, 1963, the United States Supreme Court issued a landmark opinion in the case of Gideon v. Wainwright. Clarence Gideon was convicted and incarcerated after he was refused an attorney. He was innocent, and was released years later after the Supreme Court granted him counsel; and
WHEREAS, Gideon v. Wainwright established the 6th Amendment right to counsel for adults, even those who could otherwise not afford to hire an attorney. This landmark decision also laid the foundation for the same protections to later be afford to juveniles, in the case of In re Gault; and
WHEREAS, Public defenders are often tasked with the difficult job of fighting against injustices and abuses of power, while guarding the constitutional, human, and civil rights of ordinary citizens; and
WHEREAS, Public defenders have made a significant impact in several high profile cases in major cities across the country. When the City of Baltimore faced daily protests and riots over the death of Freddie Gray, the City's public defenders aided hundreds of individuals who were arrested and denied bail. After the death of Kalief Browder, who killed himself after spending two years in isolation in a New York prison, public defenders have been fighting to end the state's solitary confinement practices; and
WHEREAS, Here in Philadelphia, the Defender Association represents approximately seventy percent of all persons arrested in the City. The Association, however, has no power to appoint itself as legal counsel. The Court of Common Pleas and the Municipal Court of Philadelphia determine standards of indigence and make all counsel appointments for...
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