Financial Inability to Obtain an Adequate Defense

I. Introduction II. The Broad Criteria … A. The Criminal Justice Act of 1964 … B. American Bar Association Project on Minimum Standards for Criminal Justice. Standards Relating to Providing Defense Services … C. Uniform Defense of Needy Persons Act (Model) 1966 III. Indigency … A. Strictly Construed … B. Liberally Construed … C. Indigency Rejected IV. Are Guidelines Necessary? V. Specific Factors to Be Considered … A. Crime Charged and Usual Fees in Locality … B. Income, Cash, and Dependents … C. Real and Personal Property … D. Resources of Accused’s Friends or Family … E. Bail … F. A Practical Test for Eligibility VI. Partial Inability—The Borderline Case … A. Eligibility Provisions … B. Duty of Counsel … C. Control by the Court VII. Determination and Redetermination of Defendant’s Financial Ability … A. Provisions … B. Who Decides … C. Mechanics of Decision … D. Forms … E. Suggestions on Improving the Reliability of the Information Obtained … (1) Pre-Appointment Investigations … (2) More Efficient Use of CJA Forms VIII. Services Other Than Counsel—The Adequate Defense Conclusion Appendix—Criminal Justice Act of 1964