The IRE Resource Center is a major research library containing more than 23,250 investigative stories — both print and broadcast. These stories are searchable online or by contacting the Resource Center directly (573-882-3364 or rescntr@ire.org) where a researcher can help you pinpoint what you need. Browse or search the tipsheet section of our library below. Stories are not available for download but can be easily ordered by contacting the Resource Center:
Search results for "public defenders" ...
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Unequal Justice
A Star-Telegram three-part series reveals that in Tarrant county, Texas, "people who can't afford their own attorneys are much more likely to receive a jail or prison sentence than people who pay for their own lawyers, even among defendants with similar criminal histories." The reporters examine more than 10, 500 court records and find numerous cases of innocent people, spending months in prison, because they can't afford to pay an experienced attorney. The investigation also shows that poor are more vulnerable to death penalty. "The findings reveal a system in which poor defendants must stay in jail because they can't afford bail or an attorney; low compensation leads many top defense attorneys to avoid court appointed cases, leaving defendants with inexperienced lawyers; rules for providing lawyers to the poor differ from judge to judge."
Tags: Texas Public Information Act; crime; wrongful convictions; death penalty; lawyers
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Unequal Justice
A study by the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reveals that poor defendants who cannot afford an attorney are more likely to be behind bars than defendants who can afford an attorney.
Tags: justice; attorneys; law; courts; defendants; money; criminal justice; public defenders
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Friends of the Court
A Miami Herald investigation of the Broward County legal system revealed that county judges only hire a select group of private lawyers to represent poor people who can't afford their own attorneys. "Unlike other South Florida courts that evenly spread the work to a large pool of qualified lawyers, Broward judges maintain absolute discretion over who gets appointed when the public defender's office can't represent a defendant because of a conflict." The Herald discovered that judges often select their friends or election contributors to be public defenders.
Tags: courts; Broward County; money; elections; legal system; conflict of interest
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Atlantic City prosecutors, defenders doing private work on city time
"An investigation by the The Press found that full-time prosecutors and public defenders in Atlantic City were doing private legal work on city time.They appeared in courtrooms outside of (Atlantic City) during the day, and some had private phone and fax lines to accommodate their private practices in their city offices."
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Under Fire
Business Week reports about "Gun-control legislation. Litigation. An angry public. Gunmakers are feeling the heat. A close-up look at the secretive industry... At the center of this (gun-violence) hurricane are the world's gun manufacturers, a diverse group ranging from true-blue American brand names like Smith & Wesson and Colt's Manufacturing... They're all dependent on America as the world's largest consumer firearms market--and they're all running scared and increasingly divided on how best to defend themselves...Trouble looms on every front."
Tags: Guns; violence; regulation; gun-control; NRA
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The Truth Could Set Them Free
The Hartford Advocate investigated the mistakes made at every level, from shoddy policework to judicial errors, that can lead to miscarriages of justice. They reveal the plight of innocent people who have been wrongly convicted.
Tags: Public defenders
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Courthouse in Crisis
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution investigated problems in the Atlanta Judicial Circuit: Thousands of felony cases were going unprosecuted, there wasn't enough personal to handle the load and the courthouse lacked a centralized computer system.
Tags: Public defender; Crime rate; Overcrowding; Prisons
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Poor Justice? The Susan Cummings Story
"Susan Cummings was 16 years old when her elderly neighbor was raped, robbed and murdered. Two years later, she was arrested and charged with masterminding the crime. There was no physical evidence against her but the mere fact that she was friends with the victim, and her parents and siblings were in and out of trouble convinced the police Susan was guilty. ... Throughout this process Susan was offered deals. If she would accuse others -- her charges would be reduced. She refused - claiming she was innocent. Two other teens testified against Susan. Both cut deals - immunity for one and a lighter charge for the other. Based on their testimony alone Susan was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole...."
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Webster L. Hubbell: A Witness and His Deals
The Times articles authoritatively advanced the public's knowledge of the extraordinary efforts taken by President Clinton's closest aides to help Webster L. Hubbell both before and after he pleaded guilty to felony charges. Among the revelations: A member of Clinton's Cabinet helped pry loose a disputed payment of public funds for Hubbell months after he pleaded guilty. This disclosure is made more compelling by the fact that the president has defended underling' efforts to help Hubbell on the basis that, prior to the guilty plea, no one had reason to believe that Hubbell did anything wrong. Certainly, the de-constructing of Hubbell's deals is crucial, because of his singular role as the former law partner of Hillary Clinton, friend to the president, No. 3 Justice Department official, convicted felon and would-be witness against the Clintons.
Tags: None
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No title (id: 14047)
The article discusses the various sides of a recent dispute over the validity of handwriting-experts' testimony. A 1989 law review publication challenged the reliability of handwriting identification expertise. Handwriting identification experts defend their profession.
Tags: Timothy McVeigh