Who We Are
OPD Honors Willy Boggs and Steve Singer as 2015 Clyde Merritt Award Recipients
OPD recently honored Steve Singer and Willy Boggs as the 2015 recipients of the “Clyde Merritt Award,” recognizing their extraordinary dedication to public defense. Together, Singer and Boggs have revolutionized the face of public defense in New Orleans in the 10 years post-Hurricane Katrina. Both were instrumental in establishing the current client-centered, community-oriented defense practice that now sets the bar for indigent defense in Louisiana.
OPD’s clients are more justly represented, public defense and the New Orleans criminal justice system and far more fair and just because of their involvement. Quite simply, OPD would not be what it is today, without the passion, leadership and zealous commitment of Steve Singer and Willy Boggs.
OPD's Client Services Division Honored for Excellence in Drug Prevention
We're thrilled to announce the recent recognition of our own Supervising Social Worker, Ginger Parsons and the entire Client Services Division as the 2015 Excellence in Prevention honoree by the Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse for Greater New Orleans. The award recognizes a significant contribution to the field of substance abuse prevention in New Orleans and those who have had a positive impact on the lives of young New Orleanians by reducing their risk for substance abuse. CADA’s Executive Director, Joyce Bracey presented the award today at their annual award luncheon.
Led by Parsons, OPD’s Client Services Division is the only division of its kind in Louisiana and consists of 10 client advocates and 3 social workers, all tirelessly working to expand the reach of our community-oriented defense practice. In 2014 alone, Client Services assisted more than 13,000 clients and provided nearly 2,000 direct services.
Expungement Hour Now Every Month
Our first Expungement Hour was a huge success! OPD and the Justice and Accountability Center will now offer the workshop the second and fourth Wednesday of each month at 2pm in our office.
The workshop is free and open to the public for anyone wanting more information or needing help filing expungement paperwork in Orleans Parish.
For more information, see the flyer below or call: 504-821-8101 or 504-322-4050.
Rally to Free Bernard Noble
OPD, Louisianans for Responsible Reform and others will rally for Bernard Noble, Saturday, March 7 at 2 p.m.
Bernard Noble, a 49-year-old native of New Orleans and father of seven children, is currently serving 13.3 years for in the Jackson Parish Correctional Center in Jonesboro, Louisiana.
Response: Public Defender's Office Not Holding Up Its End
Chief Defender Derwyn Bunton responds to nola.com | The Times-Picayune contributing op-ed:
One of my law professors once said, "A little bit of legal knowledge is a dangerous thing." Another one of my law professors said, "Ignorance of the facts is fatal to any case." They must have foreseen Craig Mordock's opinion piece. So a quick look at the law is important.
Indictment of One of Our Own
The indictment last week of one of our own is maddening and disheartening. Every day, each of us steps into the trenches: investigators, advocates, social workers and attorneys. We do so because we believe in the fight and because it is our job.
Taryn Blume is and has been a thoughtful, conscientious and hard-working investigator for OPD and our clients for 3 years. We don't believe she did anything wrong and are in full support of Taryn.
At our core, we are a family and we believe in our family. Taryn is our family; she is a sister to us. And we support our family and protect them, especially as the stakes rise and the condemnation mounts. We whole-heartedly believe in Taryn and all within our OPD family.
