Narrative on the Marie Scott Portrait:

 

 “I’ve suffered more as a woman than as a black..”

Shirley Chisolm

 

“And I know through being in that law library every night, all you see is men’s cases, back to back that had life-sentences… and those are the ones that’s getting reversed and remanded back for a new trial, but nobody here is… so I said start making the women look into their cases. The hope that they gave you through the commutation process - they’ve taken that away. So you have to turn some place else to get hope, or lose yourself.Somebody has to look at this… my lawyer, all he had to do was explain to them…a and let them take the stand…that’s my constitutional right. Marie Scott SCI Muncy, 1995

 

Twenty three years ago, Marie Scott, 19, experienced the legal system for the first time. She was issued a life without parole sentence for being with someone who unpremeditatedly murdered. Review of her case and the work of her court-appointed attorney reveal ineffectual representation.

 

Extensive investigative work in 1992 by reporter Fredric Tulsky exposed the tragic injustices involving some judges’ appointments. "Court-appointed attorneys are likely to be politically connected-and sometimes, say experts, woefully inadequate.” Fredric tulsky 9/92. Philadelphia Inquirer.

 

In April of 1993, the special defense unit of the Public Defenders (12 lawyers) became the homicide unit (with help from 3 criminal specialists.) They represent one out of five court-appointed homicide cases. And now Philadelphia is the only county in Pennsylvania with minimum standards for court-appointed attorneys


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