PRINTER'S NO. 159

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

HOUSE RESOLUTION

No.

23

Session of

2023

INTRODUCED BY D. MILLER, McCLINTON, PIELLI, N. NELSON, FREEMAN,

HOHENSTEIN, WAXMAN, MADDEN, PROBST, HILL-EVANS, RABB, KINSEY,

HOWARD, SANCHEZ, KENYATTA, SCHLOSSBERG, D. WILLIAMS, KHAN,

United States Supreme Court decision in Gideon v. Wainwright;

and

WHEREAS, The Court unanimously ruled that the Sixth Amendment

to the Constitution of the United States guaranteed every person

the right to an attorney, regardless of the person's ability to

afford one or the severity of the person's alleged crime; and

WHEREAS, The ruling spurred nationwide efforts to recruit and

train legal defense attorneys for the purpose of providing a

public defense; and

WHEREAS, These efforts were built on the legacy of Clara

defenders must have access to the same resources as the

prosecution; and

WHEREAS, Pennsylvania remains the only state in the nation

that provides zero State funding for public defender offices;

and

WHEREAS, The lack of resources strains even the best

attorneys and negatively impacts the quality of a legal defense;

and

WHEREAS, Despite ongoing challenges, public defenders

continue to show up and give their all to their clients;