Equal Justice Under Law Act of 2016

Summary

Equal Justice Under Law Act of 2016 This bill states that an indigent individual facing criminal prosecution or juvenile delinquency in a state court is entitled to the effective assistance of counsel, as guaranteed by the Sixth and Fourteenth Amendments, at the state's expense. It authorizes a federal class action lawsuit against a state for its systemic failure to guarantee the right to effective assistance of counsel. The assistance of counsel is ineffective when a class of individuals demonstrates that counsel's performance was not reasonable under prevailing professional norms. Additionally, the bill amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to modify the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) program. Specifically, it requires a state or local government to consult with public defenders before distributing JAG funds to community organizations and local governments.

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Timeline

1. 7 July 2016

   Introduced

   Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. (Sponsor introductory remarks on measure: CR S4917-4918)

   Source: IntroReferral

2. 7 July 2016

   Introduced

   Introduced in Senate

   Source: IntroReferral

Votes

No vote records are attached yet.

Versions

• Introduced in Senate · 7 July 2016 · Official file

Documents

3 official files

• Introduced in Senate (text)

  Introduced in Senate · EN · 7 July 2016

  ViewDownloadOpen at official source

• Introduced in Senate (PDF)

  Introduced in Senate · EN · 7 July 2016

  ViewDownloadOpen at official source

• Introduced in Senate

  summary · EN · 7 July 2016

  Open at official source

Sponsors

• Sen. Booker, Cory A. [D-NJ] · D · Sponsor
• · ssju00 · Standing

Related records

• related to → Equal Justice Under Law Act of 2016
• related to → Equal Justice Under Law Act of 2017