Court‑Enabled Lawyer Ghosting

In Pennsylvania’s post‑conviction system, court‑appointed lawyers commonly file 'no‑merit' Finley letters or otherwise delay action without speaking to clients or reviewing files, effectively abandoning people seeking to challenge convictions. The practice is enabled by low pay, permissive rules about minimal work before withdrawal, and weak judicial supervision, producing multi‑year backlogs and unanswered claims of innocence. — This reveals a structural denial of the right to meaningful post‑conviction review and points to concrete policy levers — fee schedules, appointment oversight, court auditing — that could restore access to justice.