Mich. Judge Thumbs Nose at Poor People's Right to Counsel
A judge in Michigan, Kent County Circuit Court Judge Dennis C. Kolenda, has decided to ignore the Supreme Court and deny poor people the right to appointed counsel for their appeals.
The ACLU has filed a class action against the Judge.
In a move reserved for extraordinary cases, the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan today filed a class action in the Michigan Court of Appeals to force a Michigan judge to comply with a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling granting poor people the right to attorneys on appeal.
âThumbing your nose at the U.S. Supreme Court is almost unheard of in the judicial system,â said Kary Moss, ACLU of Michigan Executive Director. âAnd, in this case, the judge seems to believe he is above the law, or at least above the Supreme Court.â
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