Eliminate Municipal Public Defender Application Fees

The message:

Everyone deserves access to an attorney when they are accused of a crime, but New Jersey law currently allows defendants to be charged up to $200 in fees to apply for a municipal public defender. These fees unfairly burden people who have a constitutional right to an attorney, especially people of color and people who are low-income.

It’s time to abolish these fees by passing A5639/S4396 and ending application fees for municipal public defenders.

Financial barriers should not hinder someone’s access to legal representation. Send a message to New Jersey lawmakers and urge them to eliminate municipal public defender application fees by passing A5639/S4396.