A group of advocates gathered at the State House Thursday to protest the deal, which they say, was constructed in a back room without their input.

So-called "bar advocates"  — private attorneys who take on the criminal cases of indigent defendants — have stopped accepting new cases for more than two months as they seek higher hourly rates. Lawmakers say they plan to increase wages by $20 per hour — less than the $35 per hour bar advocates are asking for.