Cepeda, et al. v. Court of Common Pleas for the County of Berks

Pennsylvania Supreme Court

Stephen Harvey and Frank Griffin IV (Pepper Hamilton LLP); Mary Catherine Roper (ACLU-PA)

The American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania and the law firm of Pepper Hamilton LLP filed an emergency petition with the Pennsylvania Supreme Court on July 23, 2009, requesting the immediate release of 18 indigent men from the Berks County jail. The men, who have spent months in prison for failure to pay child support, were never provided with legal representation.