Ensuring people have legal representation at their initial court appearance, makes the criminal justice system more fair. A report from the Safety and Justice Challenge on Changing the Initial Appearance Process shows how providing defense attorneys to people shortly after jail bookings, so they have legal representation at their first court appearance, allows people to safely return to their community more quickly, less expensively, and with fewer restrictions.
In Cook County, Illinois; Multnomah County, Oregon; and Lucas County, Ohio defense attorney-led programs treated the initial appearance as a meaningful part of the process and helped people access legal representation at this early stage. Individuals who met with a public defender prior to arraignment in Multnomah, for example, were 79 percent more likely to safely receive a less severe pretrial release overall. People were better able to navigate the complex system, understand their charges, and benefit from due process, making the system fairer for all individuals.
