Governor Rick Snyder signed legislation Monday that will make sweeping changes to the state’s public defense system.
The Michigan Public Radio Network’s Jake Neher has more.
Snyder says the new law is a big step toward making sure fewer indigent criminal defendants are wrongfully convicted. It will create a commission to set statewide standards for public defense. The group will also monitor counties to make sure each one is meeting those standards.
The governor says there’s still a lot of work to do before the state can expect to see improvements.
“It will take some time to implement this,” he says. “But this is something we will be very diligent about the follow-through to make sure it happens right.”
The bills passed the state House and Senate last month with bi-partisan support.