"The Supreme Court's unanimous 1963 decision in Gideon v. Wainwright required that everyone accused of a serious crime, rich or poor, is entitled to a defense lawyer. The decision spawned a nationwide public defender system aimed at insuring that poor people get adequate legal representation at taxpayer expense, if necessary. But 50 years later, are indigent defendants getting the representation they deserve?" -- PBS
PBS' Tim O'Brian discusses the landmark case and talks with Chief Defender Derwyn Bunton on the state of public defense in New Orleans. 2013 may be over, but the need for a fair and just criminal justice system, one that fully supports public defense, has never been greater.
Watch here at PBS...
