Orleans Public Defenders

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Who We Are

OPD Statement on Bonds, Wealth-Based Detention and Misinformation in the Current Conversations Around Crime

: News; 09 February 2022

Like many communities in the Deep South, New Orleans has a long history of injustice: systemic racism, discrimination, violence (in our communities and state-sponsored), and mass incarceration. The current narrative being peddled about crime in our community and our criminal legal system seems to ignore this history, opting instead to paint an incorrect, misleading and less than full picture.

OPD Statement on Proposed Crime Solutions

: News; 20 January 2022

New Orleanians deserve a safe city. But solutions that only prioritize reactionary measures do little to address the root causes of violence. Blindly returning to mass incarceration tactics that are proven failures won’t do anything to prevent or solve crime. Sweeping one-size-fits-all policies and strategies that fail to heed those lessons do our community a disservice.

Upcoming OPD and Court Closures

: News; 23 November 2021

While OPD offices remain closed to the general public because of COVID-19 concerns, OPD operations will be closed for the following upcoming holidays:

OPD Honors 2020 New Orleans City Council for Funding Parity Ordinance

: News; 04 November 2021

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 4, 2021

OPD HONORS 2020 NEW ORLEANS CITY COUNCIL WITH CLYDE MERRITT AWARD FOR HISTORIC FUNDING PARITY ORDINANCE

Annual Award Honors Commitment and Advocacy for Equal Justice in New Orleans

New Orleans – Today, the Orleans Public Defenders (OPD) honored the entire 2020 City Council with the annual Clyde Merritt Award for the historic parity ordinance unanimously passed into law in August of 2020. The Funding Parity for Public Defense ordinance mandated that 85% of the city budget appropriation allocated to the District Attorney be given to OPD. It was a giant leap forward toward equity and justice in New Orleans. By creating parity in funding between public defense and the district attorney, New Orleans boldly declared that all New Orleanians’ in the justice system are valued, not just the wealthy and well-connected.

Demario Davis: Public defenders' funding is another huge step toward a better city

: News; 02 November 2021

New Orleans Saints linebacker and Players Coalition Task Force member Demario Davis recently wrote an op-ed in The Advocate on the impact and importance of funding parity for public defense.

Two years ago, I hosted a town hall with Players Coalition and more than 100 community members to discuss the importance of equitably funding the district attorney and public defenders. Among many issues we discussed, the largest takeaways were how public defenders are the backstop to the powerful criminal legal system, and how fully and equitably funding the Orleans Public Defenders Office was vital to protecting the innocent and addressing the many ills of mass incarceration.

Despite our city’s recent progress in other areas, two levels of justice remain: one for the wealthy and another for low-income citizens.

OPD Co-Hosts A Conversation with Kristin Henning

: News; 02 November 2021

OPD invites you to join us next week for an important discussion with author Kristin Henning about her new book The Rage of Innocence: How America Criminalizes Black Youth. Co-hosted with the Louisiana Center for Children's Rights and the Innocence Project of New Orleans, the virtual even is free and open to the public.