Lafler and Frye: Good News for Public Defense Litigation

3 Pages Posted: 31 Jan 2013

See all articles by Cara H. Drinan

Cara H. Drinan

Catholic University of America (CUA) - Columbus School of Law

Date Written: January 30, 2013

Abstract

In Missouri v. Frye and Lafler v. Cooper, the Supreme Court confirmed that the Sixth Amendment right to counsel applies to the plea negotiation process and held that prejudicial error can flow from ineffective plea advice. The defense community has applauded these decisions for recognizing the pivotal role that guilty pleas play in our criminal justice system and for requiring a minimum level of efficacy in plea lawyering. In this brief essay, I suggest that Frye and Lafler are victories for the defense community in yet another way. The decisions reflect judicial realism, and in this respect, they are especially important cases for systemic public defense litigation. Courts confronted with these suits in the past have stymied reform efforts by approaching these suits in a formalistic way, sending plaintiffs either to seek a post-conviction remedy or legislative redress, neither of which are practical options. Frye and Lafler, because they are grounded in the reality of today's criminal justice system, may provide critical leverage to lawyers asking courts for systemic relief.

Suggested Citation

Drinan, Cara Hope, Lafler and Frye: Good News for Public Defense Litigation (January 30, 2013). Federal Sentencing Reporter, Vol. 25, No. 2, 2012, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2209483

Cara Hope Drinan (Contact Author)

Catholic University of America (CUA) - Columbus School of Law ( email )

3600 John McCormack Rd., NE
Washington, DC 20064
United States

Do you have a job opening that you would like to promote on SSRN?

Paper statistics

Downloads
71
Abstract Views
905
Rank
626,836
PlumX Metrics