BOSTON (WHDH) - A deal struck by both the house and the Senate at the State House Wednesday afternoon ended the court appointed attorney work stoppage.
The work stoppage led to chaos in the state courts in recent weeks, where judges have been dismissing dozens of criminal cases, including 100 in Suffolk County alone.
The deal by lawmakers calls for a $10 an hour increase starting next month for the attorneys hired by the state to represent defendants who can’t afford an attorney and another $10 an hour starting in August next year.
The pay hike is less than what private attorneys are demanding, but the head of the House and Means Committee says the raises are a compromise.
The Chief Counsel for a CPCS, which is the committee for public council services, released a statement that reads in part “This proposal is a critical starting point, and we will work to build on the momentum in future budgets to ensure that our advocate compensation continues to reflect the value of their work in the essential role they play in protecting the rights of our clients.”
Under the new deal, lawmakers intend to earmark another $40 million for CPCS, clearing the way for the group to hire more than 300 new public defenders by the end of the 2027 fiscal year.
Since the work stoppage began back in May, CPCS estimates over 4,000 defendants were not assigned council and 3,000 remain without council, including nearly 150 were locked up behind bars.
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