System Sequestration News Today

Daughter, the former south african presidents health is improving. she says hes more alert and can now sit up for minutes at a time. the 95-year-old has been in the hospital for two months now. lets turn to a deepening crisis in the courts, where the sequester is now decimating the federal public defenders program, making it even harder for a poor defendant to get a fair trial. msnbcs ari melber explains. >> reporter: its been called shared sacrifice. >> the sequester was meant to be something...

Courtroom. "huffing post" justice reporter calls the public defender system sequestrations biggest victim. >> it creates an unequal system, federal public defenders going on furloughed days and going up against federal prosecutors. >> the western district of texas in february the public defenders office faced a 9% pay cut. in march the office was notified it had to cut an additional 14%. the result? case delays, layoffs for a third of the defenders and a 10% salary reduction on top. meanwhile, t...