The COVID-19 pandemic has affected attorneys representing criminal defendants, including those who can't afford a lawyer. Donna Innes is the chief attorney at Kalamazoo Defender. It represents indigent clients in Kalamazoo County.
"The biggest impact for us is the inability to see our clients in person, face-to-face, at the jail. We were also impacted by not being able to see our clients face-to-face while there was social distancing and individuals were staying at home."
And Innes says other problems may be looming. They include getting cases to trial in a timely manner as the pandemic continues to disrupt the criminal justice system.