Equal Justice Under Law Act of 2017

To enforce the Sixth Amendment right to the assistance of effective counsel at all stages of the adversarial process, to confer jurisdiction upon the district courts of the United States to provide declaratory and injunctive relief against systemic violations of such right, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Equal Justice Under Law Act of 2017 2. Effective assistance of counsel (a) In general An indigent individual facing criminal prosecution or juvenile delinquency in a State court shall be entitled to the effective assistance of counsel, as guaranteed by the Sixth and Fourteenth Amendments to the Constitution of the United States, at the expense of the State. (b) Delegation If a State delegates fiscal or administrative authority over the indigent defense function to a political subdivision of the State, the State shall secure effective assistance of counsel for the individual. (c) Ineffective assistance For purposes of this section, the assistance of counsel is ineffective if the performance of counsel was not reasonable under prevailing professional norms. 3. Remedy (a) Class action authorized If a State official or one or more of a political subdivision of the State fails on a systemic basis to guarantee the right to the assistance of effective counsel as guaranteed by the Sixth and Fourteenth Amendments to the Constitution of the United States, an individual aggrieved by a violation of section 2 may commence a civil class action in an appropriate district court of the United States to seek declaratory, injunctive, or other equitable relief. (b) Abstention doctrine A court entertaining a petition for relief filed under this Act need not apply the abstention doctrine established in Younger v. Harris (401 U.S. 37). (c) Attorney’s fees In any action or proceeding under this section, the court, in its discretion, may allow the prevailing party, other than a named official of a State or political subdivision of a State, a reasonable attorney’s fee as part of the costs. In awarding an attorney’s fee under this subsection, the court, in its discretion, may include expert fees as part of the attorney’s fee. (d) Savings provision Nothing in this section shall restrict any right that any individual has under any other statute or under common law to seek redress for a violation of the right to counsel. 4. Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program Section 501(b) of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 ( 42 U.S.C. 3751(b) , in consultation with public defenders, may

Summary: Equal Justice Under Law Act of 2017 This bill states that an indigent individual facing criminal prosecution or juvenile delinquency in a state court is entitled to the effective assistance of counsel, as guaranteed by the Sixth and Fourteenth Amendments, at the state's expense. It authorizes a federal class action lawsuit against a state for its systemic failure to guarantee the right to effective assistance of counsel. The assistance of counsel is ineffective when a class of individuals demonstrates that counsel's performance was not reasonable under prevailing professional norms. Additionally, the bill amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to modify the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) program. Specifically, it requires a state or local government to consult with public defenders before distributing JAG funds to community organizations and local governments.