BINGHAM -- The Maine Supreme Judicial Court heard arguments Tuesday in the state's appeal of a lower court ruling requiring the state to provide counsel in a timely fashion to people who can not afford an attorney on their own, in accordance with the 6th amendment.

Tuesday's hearing stems from a ruling in January by the Kennebec County Superior Court that the state was, in fact, violating the Sixth Amendment by failing to provide counsel to hundreds of people for weeks or even months.

That trial court also ruled that the state must create a plan to fix the crisis, possibly release, and dismiss charges against some who'd been held without counsel for an extended period of time.

The state appealed that ruling, and both the state and the ACLU of Maine made their arguments before Maine's hi

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