Maine’s public defense system is out of money, risking legal rights for poor defendants unless emergency funding passes.

Maine’s public defense agency has exhausted its funding, leaving it unable to pay private attorneys for indigent defendants, with final payments scheduled for March 23. A $13 million shortfall—due to years of underfunding—threatens constitutional rights to legal representation, as the state faces a backlog of cases and a risk of more unrepresented defendants. The Maine Senate passed emergency funding legislation, but the House has not committed to supporting it, and the bill requires a two-thirds majority to pass before lawmakers adjourn in April. Without action, attorneys may decline future cases, undermining the justice system.