Machado v. Committee for Public Counsel Services

Stripped to its essentials, the grievance of the plaintiffs is that the Committee for Public Counsel Services (CPCS) has not paid them promptly for legal services performed in behalf of indigent persons accused of crime. A judge of the Superior Court allowed a defense motion for summary judgment, largely on the ground that the obligation to compensate private counsel, or any interest for late payment, was subject to legislative appropriation. We affirm.

Paul J. Machado and Joseph Rosa are lawyers who have accepted appointments as “private counsel” in criminal cases under G. L. c. 211D, §…