Latest news with #SeanDelaney
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
State House Spotlight: Money matters
BOSTON (WWLP) – Early in the week, private attorneys who defend the poor–known as bar advocates–announced at the State House that they will no longer be taking on new cases until their pay is raised to match what attorney's make in neighboring states. 'The right to counsel, which is in the US constitution and the Massachusetts declaration of rights will only be words,' said Lowell-based attorney Sean Delaney. Meanwhile, Governor Healey announced that her administration will be cutting down on regulations to make it easier to own and operate a profitable business in the Bay State. 'Just getting their way through the red tape is something that really takes the owner of that small business' eye off the ball of serving their customers,' said President and CEO of the Retailers Association of Massachusetts Jon Hurst. These business regulations come as Massachusetts leaders are voicing their rising fears about federal policy changes. As Trump's 'big beautiful bill' passed the House and moved on to the Senate, the Governor joined Congress people to sound the alarm. 'These guys are actually out there making history by taking away from hardworking families, from people down on their luck, from seniors, from little babies,' said Senator Elizabeth Warren. Movement from the Senate on the 'big beautiful bill' is expected by July 4th. Back on Beacon Hill, the House and Senate will be busy working on their combined version of the state budget, at least until the end of June. WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Private attorney bar advocates rally for higher wages in Massachusetts
BOSTON (WWLP) – Private attorneys who defend the poor, known as bar advocates, are calling on Massachusetts state lawmakers for a raise. Massachusetts has around 2,600 bar advocates, and all who are able are refusing to take on additional cases until their pay is raised. Bar advocates make around $65 an hour, less than half of neighboring states, despite the Bay State's higher cost of living. Supreme Court declines to hear student's bid to wear 'two genders' shirt to school Over half of these attorneys' hourly wage goes to inevitable overhead costs, and they are not paid for administrative time, nor do they have health or malpractice insurance, leading many to abandon the practice for more sustainable, higher-paying roles. 'The right to counsel, which is in the U.S. Constitution and the Massachusetts Declaration of Rights, will only be words,' said Sean Delaney, a Lowell attorney. Bar advocates handle 80% of public defender cases in Massachusetts, so their decision to step back will have an enormous impact on the court system. One Springfield lawyer told 22News about the appeal of public defender work despite low wages. 'It's very noble to do this type of work, it's very grassroots,' said John Harding of Harding Law in Springfield. 'A lot of the time, we're more counselors than we are attorneys.' Harding said that many passionate defenders are leaving Massachusetts for New Hampshire, Maine, and New York, which all pay double, among other states. Advocates emphasized that refusing to take on new clients is a last-ditch effort, and they are optimistic that they will be able to return to the work that they love soon. WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CBS News
26-05-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Massachusetts court-appointed defense lawyers to stop work, demand pay increase
A large number of court-appointed defense lawyers may stop doing the work Tuesday, which could cause a crisis for criminal defendants and the courts who seek their work. Lawyers who work through the state's Bar Advocate Program cover approximately 80% of court-appointed work, when the court appoints an attorney for an indigent, or poor, client. "We don't treat court-appointed clients differently than private pay clients," explained lawyer Sean Delaney. "Everyone's the same, because we all believe in the U.S. Constitution and the Massachusetts Declaration of Rights." Bar Advocates, or private attorneys who do occasional contracted work for the state, cover the majority of court-appointed defense work, with the rest covered by CPCS, or the state's full time public defender's program. These lawyers represent clients in a range of circumstances, including ones with "mental health issues, substance abuse, people who are concerned with a family member or a loved one that has a serious drug or alcohol problem," explained lawyer Jennifer O'Brien. A large number of these bar advocates will stop working on Tuesday, May 27, in a grassroots work stoppage as the group demands better pay. How much are court-appointed lawyers paid in Massachusetts? Right now, for work in Massachusetts District Court, these lawyers are paid $65 an hour. In neighboring New Hampshire, they make $125 an hour, in Maine the rate is $150 per hour, and in Rhode Island, the rate is $112 an hour. "No one's looking to get the Commonwealth to say, 'OK, we're going to pay you what you get on your private cases,'" Delaney explained. Rates for court-appointed attorneys in Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire and Rhode Island. CBS Boston Private defense attorneys can make over $300 per hour for their work - which is part of the reason many say they're stepping back from court-appointed work to focus on private cases. "It's not about lining our pockets either. It's about ensuring what Massachusetts was 30 years ago. In my opinion, we were the preeminent state in the country," Delaney said. "Anyone who is eligible, based upon their economic status deserves zealous representation, qualified attorneys, and that is what is dropping off [here]." Criminal defendants released after similar work stoppage A similar work stoppage happened in Hampden County back in 2004 for the same reason, at which point the Supreme Judicial Court ruled that criminal defendants who were held more than seven days without a bail hearing, and without an attorney, must be released from jail. "You can't just simply hold somebody for seven days for ten days just until an attorney comes forward to take the bail case, so we're trampling on people's Constitutional rights," lawyer Jennifer O'Brien explained. The same situation could happen here, if the Legislature doesn't take bar advocates' demands seriously, they say. "The crisis has happened," Delaney said. "This may only cause it to worsen." Bar advocates are planning a standout outside the State House on Tuesday at 1 p.m.
