Mass. Bar Advocates Continue Strike Despite Pay Raise

Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey has signed a supplemental budget granting bar advocates, private attorneys for indigent defendants, a $20 hourly pay raise over two years, increasing rates from $65 to $85 by 2027. The law also allocates $40 million to hire about 320 new public defenders in an effort to reduce reliance on bar advocates. Despite this being their largest pay raise in two decades, bar advocates argue the increase does not cover their out-of-pocket expenses and remains below rates in neighboring states. The work stoppage by these attorneys has lasted three months, resulting in hundreds of criminal cases being dismissed or delayed and some defendants, including those facing serious charges, being released without counsel. Legislative language was added to the bill to try to prevent future work stoppages, but many bar advocates have vowed to continue their protest. The ongoing disruption has raised concerns about due process rights and public safety in the Massachusetts court system.