Orleans Public Defenders

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Care, Not Cages: A Big Win for Criminal Justice Reform

: News; 17 July 2021

Yesterday was a big day in New Orleans for advocates of criminal justice and mental healthcare reform, especially the Orleans Parish Prison Reform Coalition (OPPRC). A crowd of community advocates spoke in opposition to the construction of a new Phase III jail for inmates with mental health problems at the city council meeting.

Full article from Big Easy Magazine here.

OPD Staff Attorney Meg Garvey Named CityBusiness Leader in Law

: News; 16 July 2021

OPD is proud to announce the selection of Staff Attorney Meghan Garvey as a recipient of the 2021 CityBusiness Leader in Law. Garvey, one of two court-appointed honorees, is among 50 of New Orleans’ top legal professionals recognized for moving the legal community forward with energy, innovative ideas, achievements and a commitment to excellence.

Louisiana Weekly: OPD Staffers Win NAACP Legal Defense Fund Scholarship

: News; 24 June 2021

From Ryan Whirty of The Louisiana Weekly:

Two staffers in the Orleans Parish Public Defender’s Office have received awards from the NAACP’s Legal Defense Fund to help the pair of aspiring attorneys attain their goal of tackling issues of racial fairness and social justice.

Statement on 8th District Task Force Investigation Findings

: News; 24 June 2021

NOPD clears French Quarter officers probed over station house video and street stops.

OPD's full statement on the report's findings:

The findings in the investigation of the 8th District Task Force are disappointing and should be concerning to all New Orleanians. The body cam footage presented by OPD attorney Diana Yu was just that, an unaltered copy of NOPD's own recording. There was no false testimony as the report claimed. Simply evidence of unconstitutional behavior, to which the Court agreed.

It is the job of the public defenders to protect innocence, fight for the rights of our clients, and hold power accountable. We witness the aggressive, discriminatory and racially disproportionate interactions between communities of color and law enforcement, and the harm caused by over-policing. There are no personal or financial gains to be made by our work. We stand between abuses of that power and the rights of our clients and community. With these findings, NOPD has disregarded the concern and call for accountability by the community, the truth determined by the Courts, and demonstrated a grave lack of understanding of the court process.

Read the full Times Picayune | nola.com article here.

Statement on Dismissal of 400,000 Municipal and Traffic Court Cases

: News; 24 June 2021

The New Orleans City Attorney recently dismissed almost 400,000 cases in Municipal and Traffic Court. We have worked tirelessly for many years for a solution to the hundreds of thousands of open cases and outstanding attachments because we see the devastating collateral effects to our clients and community. This concern was the impetus for our Muni at the Mission project in 2016.

OPD's full statement on this extraordinary step forward:

The elimination of almost 400,000 cases in Municipal and Traffic Court is an incredible feat worth celebrating. This is the result of many years of partnership and persistent advocacy between OPD and community partners, including Stand with Dignity, who led this fight. We are thrilled for the relief this brings to so many New Orleanians and applaud these initial steps by the City and Courts. Today is truly a new day.

While this is a critical first step, we agree with Mayor Cantrell that there is much work still to be done. Thousands of cases and attachments still remain. Too many still face significant barriers because of this ongoing backlog. We remain committed to work with the Courts, Clerk, City Attorney, and community to ensure this progress continues.