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This article is about the class-action lawsuit, Lahey v. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
For the Season 4 episode with the same name, see "Lahey v. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania". For the identically named wrongful death lawsuit filed by Nate Jr. shown in Season 6, see "I Want to Be Free".

"Backed by former President Fitzgerald Grant and D.C. power player Olivia Pope, the plaintiffs in Lahey v. Commonwealth argued for better funding for public defenders. Today the Supreme Court returned a decision. The justices sided with the plaintiffs, led by attorney Annalise Keating. Many had questioned whether Ms. Keating, a controversial criminal defense attorney, was the right person to argue such an important case. Today, with this momentous win, Ms. Keating has proved her detractors wrong and ensured a far-reaching step forward for defendants across the entire country. With this victory, it's clear Ms. Keating has become a legal powerhouse on a national level."
—The Desk Anchor about the class action and Annalise.[src]

Nathaniel Calvin Lahey Sr. v. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania was a landmark 6th supreme court case, which ruled that the under funding of public defenders violates the 6th amendment right to counsel. This was Annalise Keating's first class action lawsuit and her first case which she got to fight in the Supreme Court, which she wouldn't have been able to do if it wasn't for Olivia Pope. The lawsuit was also aimed at attaining more funding for public defenders in order for them to better represent their clients.[1]

History[]

Season 4[]

After taking a friends case, Jasmine Bromelle, Annalise discovered that she had been treated horribly throughout her many years by the legal system because she was Black. Upon winning her case in court and after Jasmine's death, Annalise decided that she wanted to make a change for all of the other prisoners of color who have had unfair trials which have subsequently lead to them having longer sentences than other white people who committed the same kind of crime. ("Was She Ever Good at Her Job?")

Following expressing interest to help colored people who have had biased trials, she first went to another cellmate from her time in prison, Claudia Gelvin. ("I Love Her")

Plaintiffs[]

Trivia[]

  • Annalise would have had more plaintiffs signed on for her case if it wasn't for Bonnie's interference by giving some of the plaintiff's deals on their cases. It is also unknown who was affected by Bonnie's stunt during "I Love Her".

Appearances[]

Season 4
"I'm Going Away" "I'm Not Her" "It's for the Greater Good" "Was She Ever Good at Her Job?"
"I Love Her" "Stay Strong, Mama" "Nobody Roots for Goliath" "Live. Live. Live."
"He's Dead" "Everything We Did Was For Nothing" "He's a Bad Father" "Ask Him About Stella"
"Lahey v. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania" "The Day Before He Died" "Nobody Else Is Dying"
Appears in the Scandal episode, "Allow Me to Reintroduce Myself"

References[]

  1. "Nobody Else Is Dying"
  2. "Whose Blood Is That?"
  3. File:405Case1.png
  4. File:405Case2.png
  5. 5.0 5.1 "I Love Her"
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