Village Council renews indigent fund

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The Sixth Amendment to the United States Constitution states, “In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right … to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defence.”

Because of that amendment everyone in America is entitled to legal representation and part of that process is when various government entities contribute to a fund to provide that representation to indigent defendants.

On Monday, New Boston Village Council called an emergency meeting to authorize the renewal of its participation in such funding.

New Boston has a contract with Portsmouth Municipal Court, and that contract has to be renewed every year.

Since that action wasn’t taken at the last council meeting, an emergency meeting had to be called to renew an agreement with the Scioto County Commissioners to provide representation for indigent defense counsel in the Portsmouth Municipal Court.

“Everybody is entitled to a lawyer if it’s their day in court,” President of the New Boston Village Council Mike Payton said. “If it’s somebody we’re (New Boston) prosecuting, they’re entitled to an attorney also. The county does that, but we pay them a fee for them to do that.”

Five members of Village Council were present at the meeting, which was held in the New Boston Community Building.

By Frank Lewis

[email protected]

Reach Frank Lewis at 740-353-3101, ext. 1928, or on Twitter @franklewis.

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