Cuyahoga County for years has led the state in trying children in adult court, where they often receive felony sentences with life-long impact. It’s a dubious statistic that raised questions from concerned community members. 

The Marshall Project - Cleveland began exploring these cases, starting with who defends the children before their cases are transferred downtown. We examined the process of assigning attorneys, including private lawyers, in Cuyahoga County Juvenile Court.

In a series of stories last year, we found that the juvenile court was not following best practices, its own rules or state guidelines for the assignment of counsel. Some lawyers complained of not being offered cases. Others worked the courthouse like a hiring hall.

The news organization, through exhaustive research, interviews and an analysis of court and state data, found a select few private attorneys handpicked by judges or their staff were receiving the bulk of delinquency cases. Some earned more than $300,000 a year taking those and other types of juvenile cases. Some lacked qualifications for training and experience that the state requires for reimbursement.

The court admitted that attorney availability, not quality, was driving assignments. Our reporting prompted the court to start tracking assignments and ensure that attorneys are qualified to represent children.