The state budget recently signed by Governor Snyder contains an unprecedented amount of money to improve legal defense for poor defendants charged with a crime.
Michigan has been rated among the worst in the nation in providing indigent defense.
Loren Khogali, Executive Director of Michigan Indigent Defense Commission, joined Stateside to talk about the new appropriation.
Khogali said the money will go toward things like private meeting spaces for lawyers and their clients, regular lawyer trainings, and hiring experts for cases, among other projects.
Listen above to hear what kinds of changes communities might see as the money is distributed, and how we'll know if the the increased funding is delivering better defense.
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