Judiciary Funding Lapse Prompts Judge to Toss Criminal Case

A California federal judge threw out a criminal case after finding the funding lapse for court-appointed defense lawyers violated the defendant’s constitutional rights.

The dismissal, issued Wednesday by Senior Judge John Mendez of the Sacramento-based US District Court for the Eastern District of California, may be the first example of charges being dismissed over the budget shortfall. Mendez said in his decision that it’s “an issue of first impression with no known appellate court precedent.”

The judiciary ran out of money in July for the Criminal Justice Act panel of private attorneys who represent indigent defendants when public defenders can’t. ...