To enforce the Sixth Amendment right to the assistance of effective counsel at all stages of the adversarial process, to confer jurisdiction upon the district courts of the United States to provide declaratory and injunctive relief against systemic violations of such right, and for other purposes.
USA115th CongressHR-968| House
| Updated: 3/9/2017
Sean Patrick Maloney
Democratic Representative
New York
Cosponsors (9)
Crime and Federal Government Surveillance Subcommittee, Judiciary Committee, Constitution and Limited Government Subcommittee
- Introduced
- In Committee
- On Floor
- Passed Chamber
- Enacted
Equal Justice Under Law Act of 2017 This bill states that an indigent individual facing criminal prosecution or juvenile delinquency in a state court is entitled to the effective assistance of counsel, as guaranteed by the Sixth and Fourteenth Amendments, at the state's expense. The bill authorizes a federal class action lawsuit against a state for its systemic failure to guarantee the right to effective assistance of counsel. The assistance of counsel is ineffective when a class of individuals demonstrates that counsel's performance was not reasonable under prevailing professional norms.
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Timeline
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations.
Crime and Law Enforcement
Civil actions and liabilityConstitution and constitutional amendmentsCriminal investigation, prosecution, interrogationCriminal procedure and sentencingJuvenile crime and gang violenceLawyers and legal servicesLegal fees and court costsState and local courts
To enforce the Sixth Amendment right to the assistance of effective counsel at all stages of the adversarial process, to confer jurisdiction upon the district courts of the United States to provide declaratory and injunctive relief against systemic violations of such right, and for other purposes.
USA115th CongressHR-968| House
| Updated: 3/9/2017
Equal Justice Under Law Act of 2017 This bill states that an indigent individual facing criminal prosecution or juvenile delinquency in a state court is entitled to the effective assistance of counsel, as guaranteed by the Sixth and Fourteenth Amendments, at the state's expense. The bill authorizes a federal class action lawsuit against a state for its systemic failure to guarantee the right to effective assistance of counsel. The assistance of counsel is ineffective when a class of individuals demonstrates that counsel's performance was not reasonable under prevailing professional norms.
View Full TextSuggested Questions
Get AI-generated questions to help you understand this bill better
Timeline
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations.
Sean Patrick Maloney
Democratic Representative
New York
Cosponsors (9)
Crime and Federal Government Surveillance Subcommittee, Judiciary Committee, Constitution and Limited Government Subcommittee
Crime and Law Enforcement
- Introduced
- In Committee
- On Floor
- Passed Chamber
- Enacted
Civil actions and liabilityConstitution and constitutional amendmentsCriminal investigation, prosecution, interrogationCriminal procedure and sentencingJuvenile crime and gang violenceLawyers and legal servicesLegal fees and court costsState and local courts