Working on the front lines of justice amid the pandemic, federal defenders are navigating uncharted territory as they work to maintain virtual access to clients in detention facilities and participate in socially distanced trials and hearings (article available here).
Through resiliency and innovation, federal defenders have continued to zealously advocate for those unable to afford an attorney, a right guaranteed by the Sixth Amendment to the Constitution and the Criminal Justice Act. Early on in the pandemic, some defenders worked with court offices to procure audio and video equipment to help bridge the physical distance with detained clients.
Federal defenders hope to continue having productive discussions with judges, detention officials, U.S. attorney’s offices, and probation and pretrial services officers to tackle issues of fostering safe and effective interactions among the parties in courtrooms, and empaneling juries that are representative of the community.