“We write to thank you for holding the hearing on Wednesday, May 13
on Protecting the Constitutional Right to Counsel for Indigents Charged with
Misdemeanors and to file a post-hearing statement with the Committee. […]
We followed the May 13 hearing closely, conferred with some of the
witnesses afterwards, and then surveyed our leaders and members around the
country to present data to the Committee with respect to (1) the complete
absence of counsel whatever in many misdemeanor courts; and (2) public
defender workloads in the misdemeanor and municipal courts in which they
do appear.”
