Agnel Philip

2 posts

Agnel Philip is a data reporter for ProPublica's Local Reporting Network. He previously worked as a data reporter at The Arizona Republic where he investigated tribal casinos, pedestrian safety and consumer issues. He studied journalism and economics at Arizona State University.

A drawn illustration of the inside of a courtroom. On the left, an inmate dressed in an orange jumpsuit is looking at the empty seat next to them where their defense attorney should be sitting. On the right, sitting at a separate table, is a prosecutor.

Lawyers who were ineligible to handle serious criminal charges were given thousands of these cases anyway

In the only state with no public defenders, people charged with murder and other serious crimes can get assigned attorneys who are legally ineligible to take on their cases. The state claims it was unaware.

BySamantha Hogan Agnel Philip

February 23, 2021

An illustration of John Pelletier, the executive director of the Maine Commission on Indigent Legal Services

A low bar for public defense

Maine is the only state in the country with no public defender system. A nine-month investigation by The Maine Monitor and ProPublica found that legal services for the poor are left to private attorneys, who face disproportionately high amounts of discipline and an office that doesn’t supervise them.

BySamantha Hogan Agnel Philip

October 6, 2020