During a hearing in early August, court officials agreed that Nelson Foster’s constitutional rights were a priority.

A week earlier, he had allegedly assaulted one of his relatives and threatened others with knives, and police say they were forced to use a Taser to arrest him. But, because he had no access to a lawyer amid the ongoing work stoppage by private court-appointed attorneys , he was released from jail, under a new emergency protocol established by the courts to address such circumstances.

Four days later, the 39-year-old from Dorchester was arrested again, for allegedly trying to grab a Boston police officer’s gun, and then spitting on another officer. He was charged again with felony assault and ordered held.

But once more, with no lawyer available to represent him, a ju

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