Highest court hears U.Md.'s right-to-attorney case

Defendants in Maryland deserve an attorney before first facing the possibility of being jailed until their court date, according to a lawsuit argued Friday in front of Maryland’s highest court.

The lawsuit could have sweeping effects for a state judicial system in which arrested individuals generally do not have legal representation until days after their initial bail review, an informal meeting with a court commissioner that takes place within 24 hours of the arrest.