Oregon must get criminal defendants attorneys within 7 days or release them from jail, judge says

By REBECCA BOONE
Associated Press

A federal judge has ordered Oregon counties to release criminal defendants from jail if they aren’t appointed an attorney within a week of their first court appearance. In his Thursday ruling, U.S. District Judge Michael McShane says indigent defendants are essentially being locked up and deprived of a voice simply because they are too poor to hire their own lawyer. Oregon is one of many states that have struggled to ensure their public defense systems meet the requirements of the Sixth Amendment. Lawmakers passed a criminal defense reform bill earlier this year, but the judge said fixing the system will take time and that’s a luxury that people facing criminal prosecution don’t have.