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PRINTER'S NO. 1519
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
SENATE RESOLUTION
No. 252
Session of
2026
INTRODUCED BY CAPPELLETTI, HUGHES, SAVAL, FONTANA, COSTA,
HAYWOOD, SANTARSIERO AND VOGEL, MARCH 20, 2026
REFERRED TO RULES AND EXECUTIVE NOMINATIONS, MARCH 20, 2026
A RESOLUTION
Recognizing March 18, 2026, as "Gideon's Day" in Pennsylvania to
honor the hard and selfless work of public defenders across
this Commonwealth.
WHEREAS, March 18, 2026, marks the 63rd anniversary of the
United States Supreme Court decision in Gideon v. Wainwright;
and
WHEREAS, The Court unanimously ruled that the Sixth Amendment
to the Constitution of the United States guarantees the right to
legal counsel as a fundamental right essential to a fair trial
and requires that counsel be provided to individuals who cannot
afford to hire an attorney; and
WHEREAS, The ruling spurred nationwide efforts to recruit and
train criminal defense attorneys for the purpose of providing a
public defense; and
WHEREAS, The ruling led to the creation of public defender
offices nationwide, including in our Commonwealth, whose law
firms were specifically created to represent indigent clients
charged with crimes; and
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WHEREAS, Public defenders represent more than one-half of
individuals charged with crimes in this Commonwealth; and
WHEREAS, Public defenders fight to protect our constitutional
rights, including the presumption of innocence, the right to be
free from unreasonable government searches and seizures and the
right to be tried in front of a jury of our peers, amongst
others; and
WHEREAS, Without zealous advocates, our society cannot ensure
that these constitutional rights are protected in criminal
proceedings and that innocent people do not lose their
freedom; and
WHEREAS, In order to best serve this purpose, public
defenders must be recognized as indispensable to our adversarial
system and be given the same resources as the prosecution; and
WHEREAS, Pennsylvania ranks 45th in indigent defense funding,
with per capita spending far below the national average; and
WHEREAS, The lack of resources strains even the best
attorneys and negatively impacts the quality of a legal defense,
jeopardizing the integrity of the criminal legal system; and
WHEREAS, Additional State funding is necessary to alleviate
the strain placed on public defenders; and
WHEREAS, Despite ongoing challenges, public defenders
continue to fight valiantly for their clients' dignity,
humanity and right to a quality defense; therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the Senate recognize March 18,
2026, as "Gideon's Day" in Pennsylvania to honor the hard and
selfless work of public defenders across this Commonwealth.
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