C. Counsel shall request the assistance of experts where it is reasonably necessary to prepare the defense and rebut the prosecution's case. The MIDC shall implement minimum standards, rules, and procedures to guarantee the right of indigent defendants to the assistance of counsel.With the passing of Public Act 109 of 1857, Michigan became one of the first states in the country to codify the right to legal counsel. Michigan Legal Help has tools to fill many kinds of forms but we do not cover all areas. You may have a blank form that you need to fill out on your own. The court should encourage any defendant who appears without counsel to be screened for indigency and potential appointment of counsel. Court Rules require that entitlement to assistance of a lawyer at state expense be specifically stated to the Defendant. If you have been convicted of a crime because of ineffective assistance of counsel, one legal option is to file a motion for Ginther Hearing. That right is not dependent on the defendant's ability to pay an attorney; if a defendant cannot afford a lawyer, the government is required to provide one. If you need an appointed attorney, someone in the court will give you a form to fill out and you will have to disclose some information about your finances.
