Counties, NYSAC, and Defenders Call on New York for Mandate Relief and to Fulfill the Promise of Gideon!

ALBANY, NY (03/14/2014)(readMedia)-- On the 51st Anniversary of Gideon v. Wainwright, NYS Counties, NYSAC, and NYSDA all call for the settlement of the Hurrell-Harring lawsuit and the creation of a model state-funded defender system.

WHO:

Stephen Acquario, Executive Director, NYS Association of Counties

Stephen Button, Public Defender, St. Lawrence County

Ruth Doyle, Assistant County Administrator, St. Lawrence County

Jonathan Gradess, Executive Director, NYS Defenders Association

Jay Gsell, County Manager/Budget Officer, Genesee County

WHAT:

News conference on the 51th Anniversary of Gideon v. Wainwright.

Individual counties throughout the state have begun a systematic call for the Governor to lift the unfair unfunded mandate of public defense and to use settlement negotiations in the statewide class action lawsuit, now scheduled for trial in September, as the occasion to create an Independent Public Defense Commission overseeing a model state-funded public defense system.

WHEN: Tuesday March 18, 2014 at 12:00PM Eastern Time (US & Canada)
WHERE: Legislative Correspondents Association Press Room
Legislative Office Building
Room 130
Albany, New York
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