California defendants are more likely to go free when they meet lawyers early
In most California courts, morning arraignments are a mess. Defendants troop in, typically in jail jumpsuits, and seat themselves in the jury box. Moments before a judge calls their name, they spend a few hushed minutes conversing with a public defender who explains what they’re charged with before they make a plea. But in Santa Clara County, when indigent defendants met with an attorney in jail soon after their arrest, their situation changed dramatically for the better.
