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‘The system is at a breaking point’: New DA, public defenders work to reduce backlog of cases at Criminal District Court
Public defenders in Orleans Parish are hopeful that a new reform-minded district attorney, Jason Williams, will help them come up with innovative ways to address the thousands of open cases that are clogging the dockets at Criminal District Court due to months of COVID-19-related court closures and suspended jury trials — namely, by dismissing nonviolent, low-level cases, or sending defendants into a diversion program, which allows them to complete a court-ordered program in exchange for a later dismissal.
Read the full article at The Lens.
Public Defenders Nationwide Announce Plan for Immigration Justice, Provide Ten-Point Plan to Biden Administration
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 13, 2021
Public Defenders Nationwide Announce Plan for Immigration Justice; Provide Ten-Point Plan to Biden Administration
Public Defenders Urge Federal Government to Take Bold Steps to Reverse and Repair Damage of the Outgoing Administration
SAN FRANCISCO - Today, the Public Defenders’ Coalition for Immigrant Justice, a nationwide coalition of public defender offices, released a 10-point plan for addressing the injustices of the criminal legal system and its pipeline to deportation. The plan urges the Biden administration and the new Democratic majority in Congress to act swiftly and decisively for immigration justice to undo the unjust, harmful, and destructive tactics of the outgoing administration.
Public defenders to stop in-person appearances at Municipal Court due to reported COVID-19 outbreak
The Orleans Public Defenders will cease all in-person appearances at New Orleans Municipal and Traffic court due to what they are calling an “ongoing outbreak of COVID-19” at the court, and after one of their own attorneys who appeared there “almost daily” tested positive.
According to a Monday afternoon press release, the office was informed early last week — prior to the Thanksgiving holiday — that a court staff member had tested positive. Since then, one of their own attorneys also tested positive.
Read the full article at The Lens.
New Orleans City Council Approves Historic Funding for OPD
2021 Budget Approval Puts OPD Funded at 65% of the DA’s Local Funding, Pushing Closer to Equity and Funding Parity in New Orleans
Yesterday, the New Orleans City Council brought the city closer to fairness and equity with the approval of an historic appropriation of $3,400,000 for the Orleans Public Defenders Office (OPD). This amends the proposed $1,626,442 by the Mayor and increases the appropriation to 65% of that allotted to the District Attorney. The budget amendment comes after the City Council unanimously passed the funding parity ordinance in August mandating an 85% parity threshold between OPD and the DA. The ordinance and the adopted appropriation begins to close the resource gap between public defense and prosecution, and level the playing field for people navigating the legal system. The amended appropriation includes the 20% cut proposed along with other city emergency austerity measures due to the unprecedented COVID19 pandemic and fiscal crisis.
NEW ORLEANS PUBLIC DEFENDERS ARE MOBILIZING TO “FLIP THE BENCH”
These candidates are highlighting the power of judges to challenge mass incarceration.
In July, during a three-day period when candidates for elected office in Orleans Parish had to file their paperwork, court clerk Arthur Morrell set up a Facebook Live video feed in his office.
As each candidate ambled in, masked and holding documents, Morrell greeted them, “Hello, you are on Facebook Live, can you please introduce yourself?”
Familiar faces appeared, like an incumbent judge who was filing for re-election and an ambitious New Orleans City Council member who was running to be district attorney.
But then, a series of unexpected candidate hopefuls showed up: seven current and former public defenders who were seeking election as judges, including Derwyn Bunton, chief of the Orleans Public Defenders.
Read the full article at The Appeal.
City Council passes ordinance bringing public defender budget closer to DA’s office
The New Orleans City Council voted to enact an ordinance on Thursday that will require the city to fund the Orleans Public Defenders at 85 percent of the amount that it allocates to the Orleans Parish District Attorney’s Office — equal to the proportion of criminal cases the public defender’s estimate they handle in the city. The city currently gives the defenders about 35 percent of what it gives the DA.
Advocates say the law will translate to more equity in the courtroom for defendants facing criminal charges in New Orleans. In a statement, the Orleans Public Defenders office said the vote was a “historic moment for New Orleans.”
“This ordinance strikes a blow at the structural disparities infecting our entire system,” the statement read. "Today sends a message that all New Orleanians are valued, not just the rich and well connected.”
Read the full article at The Lens.
