A few months ago on Last Week Tonight, John Oliver took on the United States bail system, showing that it's just as messed up as getting information about it from reality TV. Oliver tackled another aspect of U.S. jurisprudence during Sunday night's episode of Last Week Tonight, and yet again showed how movies and TV shows (unsurprisingly) don't really reflect our reality.
The main story on Sunday night's installment of Last Week Tonight was all about the U.S. public defender system. You know when you hear police officers say "You have the right to an attorney" while reciting the Miranda warning to perps in cop shows and movies? They're referring to public defenders, court-appointed lawyers that are provided when a defendant can't afford legal counsel for themselves, which is a right the U.S. Supreme Court granted to Americans in 1963.
Since 60 to 90 percent of criminal defendants require a public attorney, Oliver showed that unfortunately means public defenders are often overburdened with some having to handle so many cases, they only have seven minutes available to prepare each case. Some may even pressure clients to take plea deals whether or not the defendant is actually guilty to unload some of the cases. But at the same time, you've got to feel for public defenders as Oliver described how some of them worked in vermin-ridden offices and had to physically go tow-to-tow with a bad judge. Seriously.
And though it sounds like public defenders are completely free for defendants, that's not actually the case everywhere in the U.S. In 43 states, defendants are billed for public defender services after their cases are settled, and Oliver showed how devastating that can be for some people.
At least we got another one of Last Week Tonight's star-studded clips to show how the Miranda warning should really be recited in cop dramas to better mirror this reality. Seeing the likes of Dennis Quaid, Regina King, Josh Lucas and Jeremy Sisto hilariously lay down the law about what the public defender system is really like makes it all a little easier to digest.
Watch the full Last Week Tonight segment below.
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