Contact Reps to Increase District Court Pay Rate
Dear MACDL members,
On April 11, the House Committee on Ways & Means released its budget recommendations for the next fiscal year, FY 2019. The House budget provides for an increase in appropriation for private counsel compensation, increasing the rate of compensation for Superior Court cases from $60 to $68 per hour and for Mental Health cases from $50 to $53 per hour.
While we are pleased to see the […]
Criminal Justice Reforms — Trees, Not Forest
In a letter to the editor, MACDL President Derege Demissie and Legislative Policy Chair Marty Rosenthal highlighted the failures of the Massachusetts Senate’criminal justice bill:
To the Editor [RE: “Criminal justice debate heats up” (Mon, Oct 9th)]:
The Senate’s criminal justice bill takes excellent steps towards USA’s recent Smart-on-Crime paradigm shift. But it’s important “trees” reforms fail three “forest” challenges: mass incarceration, broad racial injustice, and broader diversion from wasteful/harmful […]
Increase Pay for Court Appointed Lawyers
Your IMMEDIATE help is needed! The Massachusetts Legislature is currently considering House Bill 751 increasing the rate of pay for their bar advocates. Sponsored by Rep Cronin of Easton, House Bill 751 proposes:
The rates of compensation payable to all counsel, who are appointed or assigned to represent indigents within the private counsel division of the committee in accordance with the provisions of paragraph (b) of section 6, shall, subject […]