NAACP Legal Defense Fund Applauds Decision in Right to Counsel Supreme Court Case

To: NATIONAL EDITORS

Contact: Mel Gagarin of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, +1-212-965-2783 or mgagarin@naacpldf.org

NEW YORK, June 23 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The NAACP Legal Defense Fund (LDF) applauds the Supreme Courts 8 to 1 decision affirming a criminal defendants right to counsel at his first court appearance before a judge. Todays decision arises from the case of Walter Rothgery, who was improperly indicted, arrested and incarcerated after his repeated requests for appointment of counsel were ignored by the Texas courts. LDF, along with the Brennan Center for Justice and the National Legal Aid and Defender Association, filed a friend of the court …