HR 143 — A Resolution recognizing March 18, 2025, as "Public Defender Day" in Pennsylvania.

PRINTER'S NO.    1123

                     THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



              HOUSE RESOLUTION
                 No. 143
                                                 Session of
                                                   2025

     INTRODUCED BY D. MILLER, McCLINTON, PIELLI, HILL-EVANS, VENKAT,
        GIRAL, MADDEN, HOHENSTEIN, VITALI, SANCHEZ, KAZEEM,
        SCHLOSSBERG, KENYATTA, DOUGHERTY, CEPEDA-FREYTIZ, RIVERA,
        SCOTT AND D. WILLIAMS, MARCH 24, 2025

     REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY, MARCH 24, 2025


                                  A RESOLUTION
 1   Recognizing March 18, 2025, as "Public Defender Day" in
 2      Pennsylvania.
 3         WHEREAS, March 18, 2025, marks the 62nd anniversary of the
 4   United States Supreme Court decision in Gideon v. Wainwright;
 5   and
 6         WHEREAS, The Court unanimously ruled that the Sixth Amendment
 7   to the Constitution of the United States guarantees the right to
 8   legal counsel as a fundamental right essential to a fair trial,
 9   and counsel must be provided to individuals who cannot afford to
10   hire an attorney themselves; and
11         WHEREAS, The ruling spurred nationwide efforts to recruit and
12   train legal defense attorneys for the purpose of providing a
13   public defense; and
14         WHEREAS, These efforts were built on Clara Shortridge Foltz's
15   legacy, who first presented her vision for public defense in
16   1893; and
17         WHEREAS, Public defenders fight to protect the liberty of
 1   those at their most desperate, vulnerable moments; and
 2      WHEREAS, Without zealous advocates, we cannot ensure that
 3   people's rights are protected and that the innocent will not go
 4   to prison; and
 5      WHEREAS, In order to best serve this purpose, public
 6   defenders must be recognized as an indispensable component of
 7   the adversarial system and have access to the same resources as
 8   the prosecution; and
 9      WHEREAS, The lack of resources strains even the best
10   attorneys and negatively impacts the quality of a legal defense,
11   jeopardizing the integrity of the criminal legal system; and
12      WHEREAS, Pennsylvania ranks 45th in indigent defense funding,
13   with per capita spending far below the national average; and
14      WHEREAS, Additional State funding is necessary to alleviate
15   the strain placed on public defenders and ensure that we uphold
16   Pennsylvania's Sixth Amendment protections; and
17      WHEREAS, Despite ongoing challenges, public defenders
18   continue to show up and give their all to their clients;
19   therefore be it
20      RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives recognize March
21   18, 2025, as "Public Defender Day" in Pennsylvania and honor the
22   hard and selfless work of public defenders across this
23   Commonwealth.




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