Back in May, public defenders in Massachusetts initiated a work stoppage in hopes of getting the Legislature to increase their hourly pay. Defendants were released from jail because they lacked representation, and charges were dropped against some defendants in special hearings. Many involved described the situation as a “crisis.”

In August, state lawmakers approved a modest pay raise for these private, court-appointed attorneys in the hopes that it would incentivize many of them to begin taking cases again and ease the work stoppage.

Although the number of unrepresented defendants has dropped, the crisis remains. Now, the state’s highest court is set to weigh in.

On one side, defense attorney groups are hoping the Supreme Judicial Court will exert power over the Legislature to ra

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