Massachusetts courtrooms may soon face a "constitutional crisis" as court-appointed lawyers statewide begin their strike Tuesday.

A large number of court-appointed defense lawyers may stop doing the work Tuesday, which could cause a crisis for criminal defendants and the courts who seek their work.

They say it’s not a step they take lightly, but a group of contracted public defenders have declared they won’t take new clients until they see a pay raise. According to a group of bar advocates gathered at the State House on Tuesday,