Lawmakers in Massachusetts have proposed a $10 increase to the hourly wage for court-appointed defense lawyers this year and another $10 increase next year. This proposal is aimed at ending a work stoppage that resulted in the dismissal of charges against over 120 defendants. Bar advocates provide essential representation for indigent defendants and are currently paid the lowest in New England. The last pay raise was in 2022, and advocates had sought a $35 increase this year. The proposed wage increases are seen as a significant step in addressing their concerns.
Currently, the lowest-paid bar advocates make $65 an hour in Massachusetts, the lowest wage for bar advocates in New England. Superior Court lawyers make $85, and lawyers handling murder cases make $120 an hour.
Lawmakers are proposing a $10 increase to the hourly wage this year and another $10 increase next year for the court-appointed defense lawyers to end their work stoppage.
In an agreement unveiled Wednesday, lawmakers are proposing a $10 increase to the hourly wage this year and another $10 increase next year, according to The Boston Globe.
'What we are doing over a two-year period is giving a significant pay raise to the bar advocates,' House Ways and Means Chair Aaron Michlewitz said.
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