NLADA Statement on the Shinn v. Ramirez Decision at the U.S. Supreme Court
For media inquiries:
Rabiah Burks, 202-452-0620
[email protected]
WASHINGTON – The National Legal Aid and Defender Association released the following statement in response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Shinn v. Ramirez.
NLADA President & CEO April Frazier Camara said:
“The decision in Shinn v. Ramirez will set an unreasonably high standard for people to prove that they did not receive adequate assistance from their lawyer following their conviction. Criminal appeals procedures, and ineffective assistance of counsel claims in particular, are essential tools in the hands of public defense providers to ensure fair process in the rule of law and often prove innocence for low-income people who start out, even before trial, with the scales tipped against them. By putting up new barriers in the criminal appeals process, however, the Supreme Court has eliminated the ability of people who have been convicted of crimes, including innocent people on death row, to receive a fair process in appellate courts.
“The Ramirez decision will deepen our criminal courts’ systematized mistreatment of low-income, Black, and Brown communities, further undermining our nation’s fundamental ideas of equality and freedom.”
If you have any questions or would like to speak with NLADA President & CEO April Frazier Camara, contact Rabiah Burks at [email protected].
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The National Legal Aid & Defender Association (NLADA), founded in 1911, is America’s oldest and largest nonprofit association devoted to excellence in the delivery of legal services to those who cannot afford counsel. NLADA has pioneered access to justice at the national, state, and local levels, playing a leadership role in the creation of public defender systems and other important institutions from The Sentencing Project to the Legal Services Corporation. A leader in the development of national standards for civil legal aid and public defense, NLADA also provides advocacy, training, and technical assistance for equal justice advocates across the country.