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The Right to An Attorney
Most of us take it for granted that if we're ever in court and we can't afford a lawyer, the court will provide one for us. And in fact, the right to an attorney is written into the Constitution's sixth amendment. But for most of U.S. history, it was more of a nice-to-have — something you got if you could, but that many people went without. Today, though, public defenders represent up to 80% of people charged with crimes. So what changed? Today on the show: how public defenders became the backbone of our criminal legal system, and what might need to change for them to truly serve everyone.To access bonus episodes and listen to Throughline sponsor-free, subscribe to Throughline+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org/throughline.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
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The Right to An Attorney
February 29, 20243:00 AM ET
[Ramtin Arablouei, co-host and co-producer of Throughline.]
The Right to An Attorney
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50:37
50:37
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Transcript](https://www.npr.org/transcripts/1198908562)
<iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1198908562/1234643980" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
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Transcript](https://www.npr.org/transcripts/1198908562)