Editorial: A reform for justice

Wednesday, July 20, 2005 | 9:02 a.m.

The U.S. Constitution guarantees that a person charged with a crime can be represented by an attorney, even if he can't afford one. It's the job of the county public defender's office to provide an attorney for poor people. But what constitutes poor? In the Clark County court system, as the Las Vegas Sun reported Sunday, there is no standard. This has resulted in people with means availing themselves of an attorney at taxpayer expense.

Clark County Manager Thom Reilly called upon court officials to establish an official definition of poor. He also directed them to devise a method of verifying the financial status of defendants who ask for a public attorney. The officials hope to have a definition and a fair verification method in place by fall. A sworn affidavit will be part of the method, with penalties attached if defendants are found to have lied.

The new system will require additional court employees, which means the money saved may be little more than a wash. But money is not the primary issue. The new system will reduce the burden on the public defenders, leaving them more time to represent people who are truly indigent. In our view, this new system is needed for the sake of justice.