Recently, reporter learned from District Legal Aid Center that, from January to October this year, the center has received a total of 150 criminal legal aid cases from District People's Court. Among them, the first instance criminal cases, whose defendants have economic difficulties and may be sentenced to three years in prison, are almost assigned to the center.

　　"Pleasing cases are the expansion of legal aid in criminal cases, which is helpful to increase the legal aid recipient, better protect the lawful rights and interests of criminal suspects and defendants, providing legal aid for more people in need of help, but has not yet reached the standards of legal aid." According to lawyer Gu Haitao, the director of District Legal Aid Center, the pleasing cases, which have been clearly defined in "Comments on Strengthening and Standardizing Criminal Legal Aid" of January 2014, especially mean that for which criminal suspect or defendant under certain circumstances who don’t appoint a defender and make an application for legal aid, the people's courts and people's procuratorates can consulate to legal aid agencies to appoint a lawyer to defend for them without proof of economic situation.

　　Since the introduction of the comments, District Legal Aid Center has seriously implemented it, do its best to provide aid to 9 kinds of legal aid cases, such as the case whose defendant having economic difficulty and sentenced to more than three years in prison, the suspect in common criminal case in which other suspects and defendants having authorized?defenders or the case has a significant social impact, or with much social?concerns.

　　On October 28 this year, District People's Court had tried the case of Mr. Wu, Mr. Luo and others suspected of opening casinos, intentional injury and drug trafficking. That case which has large number of people involved, up to 48 ones, is the largest criminal case in our district with most people involved in up to now. In order to protect the legitimate rights and interests of defendants, District People's Court sent a letter to District Legal Aid Center, consulting with them to provide legal aid to 21 people involved in the case. The center had assigned 21 lawyers to participate in the defense of the criminal dispute. And the case had become the one it received with most with largest number of defendants. After many days of preparation, 21 aid lawyers had provided the basic facts defense for the people involved base on guaranteeing the fundamental rights of the accused. At present, the case has been heard end.

　　"Everyone is equal before the law, even the suspect also has the right to speak and get the legitimate legal protection." Gu Haitao said.